This is very interesting as I was in a Tweeter this past weekend and also felt the 56 was blowing away the 61 glad to see it wasn't just me. I think I read way bak when that they use the same light bulb so maybe they need a bigger bulb in the 61???

That could be. Did I read somewhere that the 67" has a higher power lamp? Maybe the 61" is a little under the threshold of what it should have in it.

I had second and third thoughts about downsizing during the process, but have grown quite happy with the fact that I did because of the picture difference.

Has anyone actually compared both 56" models? Just looking at the 5678 compared to the 6178 I liked the 56" better, and the salesman agreed. And these were the same series just different sizes, so the comparisons between the 6178 and 5688 don't really mean much to me. Thanks for all of you help so far! keep it comming please.

That could be. Did I read somewhere that the 67" has a higher power lamp? Maybe the 61" is a little under the threshold of what it should have in it.

I had second and third thoughts about downsizing during the process, but have grown quite happy with the fact that I did because of the picture difference.


I believe you are right about the 67 bulb being different.

I like the 56 a lot but I am leaning towards the HP 58 for the 1080p imput

Haven't seen the HP in person, but the 1080P inputs are definitely a plus and a better choice for future proofing the set.

Haven't seen the HP in person, but the 1080P inputs are definitely a plus and a better choice for future proofing the set.

I haven't either but most people seem to like them a lot. I know there have been some issues with them but what brand doesn't have issues?

Bulb life?
Does anyone know what the bulb wattage is in "standard" mode? I had a friend send me a message today saying that the bulbs are running at 120 watts which cuts the life cycle by about 2,000 hours. I'm thinking this refers to dynamic mode.

100 watts is Standard. 120 watts is Dynamic.

67"=(120W/132W); 56", 61"=(100W/120W)

Has anyone actually compared both 56" models? Just looking at the 5678 compared to the 6178 I liked the 56" better, and the salesman agreed. And these were the same series just different sizes, so the comparisons between the 6178 and 5688 don't really mean much to me. Thanks for all of you help so far! keep it comming please.


Well - FWIW, I have a 6168 and the picture is terrific. I compared the 61 and 56 when I was shopping and didn't see any difference. The difference folks are mentioning might be due to viewing distances or content or something else. It could also be that the 61 was in Movie mode in broad daylight - this could be too dark for some tastes.

Has there been a firmware update released for the HLR series? I am ready to have my set calibrated, but want to update the firmware first. I am concerned about calibrating the set and then applying a firmware update in the future that may change the service menu settings

There have been no firmware updates released for the HLR's. Based on what I have seen it is highly unlikely that Samsung will release any "at home" firmware upgrade. I wish they would but history says otherwise.

100 watts is Standard. 120 watts is Dynamic.

67"=(120W/132W); 56", 61"=(100W/120W)
My 6168 uses a 120W lamp. There is a setting in the Service Menu to adjust that. "Lamp Boost" from 0 to 63 with 20 being factory. On my 6168, there is also a Lamp Watt setting of 120W/132W. You can turn off the dynamic setting and go to "Normal" but the service manual recommends to always leave it on Dynamic.

I'm sure you could extend the life of the lamp by turning off the Dynamic mode and putting the voltage to 120W at the expense of PQ.

Well - FWIW, I have a 6168 and the picture is terrific. I compared the 61 and 56 when I was shopping and didn't see any difference. The difference folks are mentioning might be due to viewing distances or content or something else. It could also be that the 61 was in Movie mode in broad daylight - this could be too dark for some tastes.

The viewing distance and content were the same but maybe the setup was different but the difference was night and day

The service manual can be ordered for $22 from www.samsungparts.com ... it is a little tough to find, I think it is listed under accessories.
This is the part number for the service manual for my 6168: SM-HLR6168W

Has there been a firmware update released for the HLR series? I am ready to have my set calibrated, but want to update the firmware first. I am concerned about calibrating the set and then applying a firmware update in the future that may change the service menu settings
Samsung does not release firmware updates to customers. In the past, some of the most experienced calibrators actually have the firmware upgrades and can apply them before they do the calibration. I wouldn't expect your calibrator to be able to upgrade the firmware, but you may want to ask or call Samsung tech support to see what they say.

YES! At least for me. I am on my second replacement set. I personally would never recommend this set to anyone - although I know that some people are happy with it. I just don't trust it and it's hard to enjoy it when you know it's gonna stop working any minute( in my experience).


I'm in the 1080P RPTV market and have been following a number of threads. I'm sure many people reading this thread does as well. For those of you that don't, know this, every TV on the market has some problems. I can't say if the Samsung is worse or better.

I'm in the 1080P RPTV market and have been following a number of threads. I'm sure many people reading this thread does as well. For those of you that don't, know this, every TV on the market has some problems. I can't say if the Samsung is worse or better.

That would make sense since people often post only when they have a problem, which results in most of the posts describing problems. There are obviously many many people out there that have no problems with these sets, you just wouldn't typically hear from them. Also, the people posting on forums like this are typically a lot more critical than the average person. Thus, many "problems" reported (e.g., the dynamic range problem) wouldn't even be noticed by many people.

If this has been covered, I apologize (but 285 pages of posts make for difficult searching).

We have an HLR-5078, which we've had for a few months now. In general, we absolutely love the TV, except for one problem that I haven't been able to correct through the normal menu settings: In dark scenes, everything seems *too* dark - it is often difficult to make out detail. Similarly, in scenes with alternating light and shadow, the areas/figures in shadow are difficult to make out; this is even true with regard to people with darker skin tone - their features lack in detail. Any scenes that are bright or well-lit are stunning, but introduce any darkness or shadow into the equation, and things are disappointing.

Have others had experience with this? What are the remedies?

If this has been covered, I apologize (but 285 pages of posts make for difficult searching).

We have an HLR-5078, which we've had for a few months now. In general, we absolutely love the TV, except for one problem that I haven't been able to correct through the normal menu settings: In dark scenes, everything seems *too* dark - it is often difficult to make out detail. Similarly, in scenes with alternating light and shadow, the areas/figures in shadow are difficult to make out; this is even true with regard to people with darker skin tone - their features lack in detail. Any scenes that are bright or well-lit are stunning, but introduce any darkness or shadow into the equation, and things are disappointing.

Have others had experience with this? What are the remedies?
I assume that you have tried adjusting brightness. The only other change you may want to make in the User Menu is to switch to one of the other modes and see if it helps (e.g., standard, cinema, etc). Other than that, the only way to add that detail would be in the service menu. There is a one setting in particular that helped provide significant detail in dark scenes on my set (it's under the DNIe submenu and I think it was the "BWS" setting - but I'm at work and am not sure). In the service menu, you can also change the subnet brightness and subnet contrast, which could also help with the brightness. I forget where I ended up with those settings, but maybe someone else can post their settings. However, you shouldn't make any changes to the service menu unless you are completely comfortable entering the service menu and really know what you are doing. I should also add that once you enter the service menu, all the user menu settings return to their factory defaults. Finally, the other (and really best) way to help with your issue would be to have your set professionally calibrated, but that involves a significant cost and I can understand why that may not be your desired approach.

Could someone provide the link that was posted to the McMaster Carr site for the specific velux type material with the adhesive backing. I saved a link but it only linked the main page not to the specific part number. I have been searching here and can't seem to find it. I wanted to keep it for reference in the event that I wanted to try this myself.

Thanks

100 watts is Standard. 120 watts is Dynamic.

67"=(120W/132W); 56", 61"=(100W/120W)

When you switch to Dynamic, remember that the bulb will burn out in almost half the time.

Hello all-

I am seriously looking into buying a 1080p Samsung. I would like to hear anyone's experience with the 5078. Are there any other models that I should be looking at too?

My friend has the 5078 and I have the 5678. There seems to be a big difference in picture size although the actual size is only a six inch difference. Since my friend lives on the second floor we can compare sets instantly. I think the issue is the picture is less than life size or actual size on the 5078 and is actual size or life size on the 5678. Anything above the 5678 is larger than life size or actual size. He wishes he got the 5678. I joke with him that six inches is really not that much, figure three inches a side, but you can tell. The issue should be viewer distance. The further away the larger the size normally but people here are going the next size up since the picture is great and really impressive. I'm at 6' with the 5678 and normally that is too close but it is awesome.

How wide is the 5678 exactly (screen wideness only, not including the black edges around the TV)? I ask because I have a limited amount of space to work with. My HT stand is just at 48" with poles on the sides that make the useful viewing width around 45". If the screen width of the 5678 is any bigger than 45" I think it will be too big.

I have a 32" CRT right now, so moving up to even a 46" HDTV is going to be awesome. Thanks for the advice on the 5678. I was really liking the 5078, but now that I have some perspective I might have to go with the 5678. Decisions, decisions!!!

runninkyle17 - The 5078's picture dimension is 43.62" W x 24.53" H. Go to Samsung's web site for the model you are interested in and download the Technical Drawings (it's the link right under the picture of the display). http://samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/HLR5078WXXAA.asp?page=size_contents

The 5678's picture size is 48.88" W x 27.48" H. http://samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/HLR5678WXXAA.asp

There are tech drawings for all the models. Quite handy for sizing TV stands. I have the 6768 and just hooked it up to my PC. Works fine at 1920 x 1080.

My 6168 uses a 120W lamp. There is a setting in the Service Menu to adjust that. "Lamp Boost" from 0 to 63 with 20 being factory. On my 6168, there is also a Lamp Watt setting of 120W/132W. You can turn off the dynamic setting and go to "Normal" but the service manual recommends to always leave it on Dynamic.

I'm sure you could extend the life of the lamp by turning off the Dynamic mode and putting the voltage to 120W at the expense of PQ.


Ok, so if I regularly watch in "Standard mode" in the picture menu I'm getting the MAX bulb life??? I have never used the Dynamic mode.

I just read a video article on HD broadcast regarding "true" 1080. I didn't realize this but apparently no one is broadcasting in true 1080 and the HD-DVD players probably won't either. Yes, the Samsung will scale any signal to true 1080, but that doesn't mean the signal is. It will be interesting if you produce video. Few NLEs are true 1080. That could mean that your produced HD video might be better quality than HD via broadcast or DVD, the same way it's true for DV.

Isn't the bulb life under warranty? I like dynamic and use it for all the inputs. I took the extended from TVA too.

Is the 360 true 1080? HTPC is so I assume the 360 is?

Hello all-

I am seriously looking into buying a 1080p Samsung. I would like to hear anyone's experience with the 5078. Are there any other models that I should be looking at too?

I've got one and I love it. My phone rings off the hook on Sundays (for football). everyone wants to come over and watch games on this TV. The picture is incredible right out of the box. I've only got a couple of minor issues (I always find something).
I do see rainbows at times. Only on very dark (black or near black) areas of the picture, and only when looking away from the screen rapidly. I didn't see them for the 1st two months that I had the set. The TV does not pass 5.1 throught to a HT system, amd HDMI does not accept 1080p.
We sit 6 tp 12 feet away, and everyone loves the PQ. At times, very dark areas, like black suits, lack detail. There are some posts that address this issue, but I have not tried them yet. I also have not had the set calibrated. I think it's the best RPTV out there. Good Luck!!!!

The 1080P Smasungs really needa calibration to push the picture to another level. Turning off the Dynamic Iris is one of the things that produce a much better picture and will prevent those suits from lacking detail.

Sorry but I forget if this has been answered already? I'm thinking of getting a VGA monitor switch so I can connect either my HTPC desktop or my cheapo notebook so I won't have to keep changing the one VGA cable from the back of the computers? I guess the issue is if the switch sends the two way signal that high quality VGA cables don't and if there is a minimum resolution that my notebook will support? The notebook is a widescreen so I thought there might be a chance it could work? I know it won't work for HD or video editing but I was hoping to watch a SD movie to test it out and use it for regular computer tasks.

It shouldn't have a problem supporting HD 1920x1080P. It's only 2D. I have cheap video cards that are several years old that will output at the 1920x1080P resolution.

I just read a video article on HD broadcast regarding "true" 1080. I didn't realize this but apparently no one is broadcasting in true 1080 and the HD-DVD players probably won't either. Yes, the Samsung will scale any signal to true 1080, but that doesn't mean the signal is. It will be interesting if you produce video. Few NLEs are true 1080. That could mean that your produced HD video might be better quality than HD via broadcast or DVD, the same way it's true for DV.
I assume you mean 1080p60. I don't know what "true 1080" is. 1080p60 is not an ATSC spec so it cannot be broadcast.

My Final Cut Pro doesn't edit 1080p60. But in April, with the release of FCP 6, who knows?

No DVD HD players will put 1080p60 on disk but may upconvert to that resolution, just like your set.

1080p60 may be a viable production format since you can derive 1080i30 and 720p60 from the same master. But I doubt if you will get real 1080p60 in the home from any source in the foreseeable future.

If this has been covered, I apologize (but 285 pages of posts make for difficult searching).

We have an HLR-5078, which we've had for a few months now. In general, we absolutely love the TV, except for one problem that I haven't been able to correct through the normal menu settings: In dark scenes, everything seems *too* dark - it is often difficult to make out detail. Similarly, in scenes with alternating light and shadow, the areas/figures in shadow are difficult to make out; this is even true with regard to people with darker skin tone - their features lack in detail. Any scenes that are bright or well-lit are stunning, but introduce any darkness or shadow into the equation, and things are disappointing.

Have others had experience with this? What are the remedies?
Does this happen when you play DVD's or watch cable (or sat)? Give us a little more information. Based on what you have said so far, I would guess that your DVD player either doesn't pass BTB or you have it in the wrong mode. What DVD player are you using and how is it connected to your TV? If you are talking about cable (or sat), what picture mode (standard, dynamic, movie, custom) are you using on the TV? Also, what service are you using.

Does this happen when you play DVD's or watch cable (or sat)? Give us a little more information. Based on what you have said so far, I would guess that your DVD player either doesn't pass BTB or you have it in the wrong mode. What DVD player are you using and how is it connected to your TV? If you are talking about cable (or sat), what picture mode (standard, dynamic, movie, custom) are you using on the TV? Also, what service are you using.

It's a persistent issue regardless of source. My DVD player is a Pioneer DV-578A, and my cable box is a SA8300HD. I notice the detail/darkness problem when watching SD or HD cable (it's especially noticeable on a show like Lost) or when watching a movie on DVD.....so this tells me it's the tv rather than the source signal.

I couldn't be more pleased with my new 5078.

But with respect to the last couple posts about bulb life; what is more conducive to longer bulb life:
- Turn it on once and leave it on until you shut if off for the rest of the day?
- Or turning it off and on if you're coming and going during the day? (weekends for example).

I'm not sure if the extra power/heat cycles makes a big dent in its life span.

Does this happen when you play DVD's or watch cable (or sat)? Give us a little more information. Based on what you have said so far, I would guess that your DVD player either doesn't pass BTB or you have it in the wrong mode. What DVD player are you using and how is it connected to your TV? If you are talking about cable (or sat), what picture mode (standard, dynamic, movie, custom) are you using on the TV? Also, what service are you using.

Sorry if I'm hijacking this post, but I've got the same problem. I don't watch DVD too much, so it's mostly with TV broadcast. I have Comcast with a Motorola 3412 DVR. One area that I lose detail is in a person's dark clothing. Especially a black suit or overcoat. The black clothing appeas to be one uniformly very dark black area with no
detail such as wrinkles or folds. It happens a lot while watching Law & Order, and ESPN Sportscenter.
Is there anything I can change to give more detail to dark scenes?
THANKS!!!!!

Sorry if I'm hijacking this post, but I've got the same problem. I don't watch DVD too much, so it's mostly with TV broadcast. I have Comcast with a Motorola 3412 DVR. One area that I lose detail is in a person's dark clothing. Especially a black suit or overcoat. The black clothing appeas to be one uniformly very dark black area with no
detail such as wrinkles or folds. It happens a lot while watching Law & Order, and ESPN Sportscenter.
Is there anything I can change to give more detail to dark scenes?
THANKS!!!!!

This sounds like the dynamic range bug. The work around is to switch picture modes after you switch inputs. e.g. when switching from DVD to TV, change your picture mode to Standard, then back to Movie (if Movie is your preference). Some people have had success by turning off SNI_PROC_BWS in the service menu but that only lessens the problem for others. The picture mode trick works fine but is a pain unless you have a programmable remote with the discrete codes.

I just got that same vertical stripe along the left side just like the pic posted a couple of pages ago. What was the cause and repair? Since the picture shows through the stripe it seems to be from the back of the screen? I'd assume you'd lose the picture from the striped area if something was obstructed or broken?

True 1080 is an ATSC spec of 1920x1080. The reason for the "true" lingo is no one is actually using it. Everyone from broadcast ota, satellite, cable, HD-DVD/BR and most NLE software has a resolution that is less than 1920. I think most is around 1440 or somewhere around that, I forget. That means that all signals including 1080 signals is scaled on the set to the 1920x1080. The only one that is a true 1080 signal is from a HTPC and maybe a game console like the 360 if it outputs 1920x1080. I didn't understand what "true" was until I just read about it in a video article this week. That also explains why T2 HD on a HTPC is amazing.

True 1080 is an ATSC spec of 1920x1080. The reason for the "true" lingo is no one is actually using it. Everyone from broadcast ota, satellite, cable, HD-DVD/BR and most NLE software has a resolution that is less than 1920. I think most is around 1440 or somewhere around that, I forget.
Not true. Any live 1080i broadcast will not be limited but will have full 1920 resolution. Movies are usually transferred to HD-D5 tape which is full 1920. The Sony HDCAM SR is full 1920. Portable cameras like the Sony HDCAM has a limiting resolution of 1440. The Panasonic Varicam is limited to a max 1280. It is not accurate, however, to say " no one is actually using" 1920.

From SMPTE:
In common with other compression systems, the type HDCAM encoding process uses intraframe coding (i.e., the coding is bound by the frame period) using the discrete cosine transform (DCT) to provide the data decorrelation required for efficient compression. The coefficients are quantized and variable length coded
(VLC) to produce the basic output data format. The source pictures are subsampled prior to compression coding. This reduces the number of coded pixels
and allows the number of bits-per-pixel value to be raised in proportion. The luminance source sampling grid of 1920*1080 pixels is reduced to 1440*1080 pixels. For each chrominance channel, the source sampling grid of 960*1080 pixels is reduced to 480*1080 pixels. In the decoder, the output pixel sample grid is restored back to the source format of 1920*1080 pixels by interpolation following the compression decoding process."

I don't know of any editing software that reduces bandwidth (downconverts) unless you do it on purpose. Non-linear editors can edit 1920 if they have that codec or they can edit it completely uncompressed, like my Final Cut Pro.

That means that all signals including 1080 signals is scaled on the set to the 1920x1080.

Not true.

The only one that is a true 1080 signal is from a HTPC and maybe a game console like the 360 if it outputs 1920x1080. I didn't understand what "true" was until I just read about it in a video article this week. That also explains why T2 HD on a HTPC is amazing.
Selecting one movie to state that all HTPC movies will look amazing is not very scientific. Some movie transfers look great, some don't.

If the 360 outputs 1920x1080, you have to ask if it is native or upconverted. I can upconvert VHS but that is not going to make it look better.

Does anyone know what the true MSRP is for an hlr5078w (as stated by Samsung).
The MSRP is listed as $3499 on some sites and $3999 on others. I cant find the MSRP listed on the Samsung site.

The reason I ask is Tweeter has raised the price from $3199 to $3499 and I'm wondering if this is basically the full and actual MSRP.

... Thanks for the advice on the 5678. I was really liking the 5078, but now that I have some perspective I might have to go with the 5678. Decisions, decisions!!!
Well, let me toss one more at you :) I was originally planning on the 5678. After talking with TVA as well as Samsung Customer Support, I learned that the differences between 5678 and 5668 were cosmetic only. At the time 5668 was siginificantly cheaper. The 5668 has the matte black bezel with the "floating screen" design. The 5678 has a glossy black bezel. Some have reported some reflection issues with the xx78 series. Personally, I like the matte finish of my 5668 and the lack of reflections but I agree that the xx78 series looks classier and this might help if WAF is an issue. However, I don't believe Samsung offers the xx68 series in a 50" model.

Sorry if I'm hijacking this post, but I've got the same problem. I don't watch DVD too much, so it's mostly with TV broadcast. I have Comcast with a Motorola 3412 DVR. One area that I lose detail is in a person's dark clothing. Especially a black suit or overcoat. The black clothing appeas to be one uniformly very dark black area with no
detail such as wrinkles or folds. It happens a lot while watching Law & Order, and ESPN Sportscenter.
Is there anything I can change to give more detail to dark scenes?
THANKS!!!!!
Things to try:
1. Dynamic Range Bug - If you have the DVR connected via HDMI, after you change inputs to HDMI issue a discrete IR command for the picture mode that you are using (ie, standard). This will reset the dyanmic range of the picture. Results vary depending on you basic picture settings. If you can't issue a discrete IR command, than go into Picture Mode and change the picture mode to something other than standard (or the mode that you are using) and then back to standard. This has to be done every time you change inputs.
2. Check your picture mode, if you are using Dynamic it will crush the blacks. Set it to standard.
3. Comcast broadcasts a short program called 'Tune-Up' on INHD that can be used to accurately set your black levels. Find it, record it and use it make the fine adjustments on your picture. It will allow you to maximize black and detail performance.
4. Make sure that your Comcast DVR is outputting 1080i for HD and 480i (or p) for SD.

If you have a programmable remote, search this thread for the discrete IR commands.

Things to try:
...
2. Check your picture mode, if you are using Dynamic it will crush the blacks. Set it to standard.
...
I think Standard crushes blacks too. I would set it to Movie mode and adjust contrast about 20-30, brightness as you need it but not more than 60, sharpness to 0.

You can play the picture mode switching game manually just to see if it helps. I have not been too happy with HDMI on these sets period. I would also bypass the STB and jump right into the coax input if you can and still get hd.

Alternatively I would suggest that you get some rabbit ears and see what OTA hi def looks like vs sat/cab. Then when it looks so much better ask your Sat/Cab provider why and what they are going to do about it.

Things to try:
1. Dynamic Range Bug - If you have the DVR connected via HDMI, after you change inputs to HDMI issue a discrete IR command for the picture mode that you are using (ie, standard). This will reset the dyanmic range of the picture. Results vary depending on you basic picture settings. If you can't issue a discrete IR command, than go into Picture Mode and change the picture mode to something other than standard (or the mode that you are using) and then back to standard. This has to be done every time you change inputs.


Turn off DNIe and you won't have this problem.

Turn off DNIe and you won't have this problem.\\

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS!!!

But I do have some more....

I stopped using HDMI, I now use component, with one of the DNIe settings off (SNI_PROC_DEP). Is this the one that takes care of excessive black?

Turning off all DNIe settings made my picture look too soft. What settings have been found to be the best to turn off?

How do you turn off Dynamic Iris? Is this a good Idea?

How about Sub Brightness & Sub Contrast in the SM.

Aslo, is turning the TV off via the remote the only way to exit the SM?

THANKS!!!!!

You need to get the SM remote codes somewhere in this thread then you don't have to turn the set off. AFter turning off DNIE the set needs to be recalibrated. RIng focus will affect the picture. My picture with DNIE off shows much more detail than with it on. But what ever looks best to you.
All the _PROC_ lines are set to off to disable all the proccessing the TV does to the picture. i can't tell you what each one does but it is much better. The SM is the only way to actually activate the NR. I will turn mine on if there is alot of noise in the HD picture. It does help.
Also to get 1:1 pixel mapping you have to go into GM1601 and go to 1080i overscan. You have to cycle it on the off to actually have 1:1 pixel mapping. Or if it is already set to on toggle it off, on, then off again. This will be reset if you change inputs or turn the set off so you would need to do this with the SM remote fuctions so you don't have to turn the set off after making SM changes.
In the SM when you adjust Sub Brightness and contrast this will become the baseline contrast and brightness for that input.

I am looking for information on a problem with my new Samsung HLR6168 DLP TV.
I have had it less than a month. Now when I turn it on there are vertical pinstripe lines on the left side of the screen. At first they went away after 10 minutes now it takes a couple of hours. I have seen other post on this problem. I would like to know how common this problem is and what is causing it. I am trying to exchange it with Best Buy (they are being difficult). Should I get the same model or perhaps switch to LCD. ( 1080p is a requirement)
Thanks

I have a wide stripe, about the width of packing tape. I've been busy and haven't had a chance to review the posts on these issues. I think most of the problems people here have are the same. That is there are only a handful of issues that have needed replacement parts and of those there are only a few parts that get replaced. Knowing that I'd say the set is still the best out there and other sets could have the same issues or worse. Samsung customer service is great for most people. Try calling Sony or some others.

Hello! I am also looking into getting the 50" (as I'm not sure about the SXRD after hearing all the problems with the green blob) and just had a couple questions:

1) Do there seem to be any recurrent problems with this set (like the SXRD's green blob)?

2) How does this set compare performance-wise with the SXRD? I had a chance to see the 60" SXRD next to the 50" Samsung, but it's hard to tell the real difference in a store, even if you fiddle with the options.

3) I had heard that DLP 1080ps weren't "true" 1080p because of "wobulation" or something like that--what's the deal with that, and what difference (if any) would it make?

4) Is there any motion blur on these TVs? I would be watching a lot of sports and playing games on the TV and want to make sure I get the best performace for the money.

5) Does anyone have a link to the measurements of the Samsung matching stand for this TV (specifically that also lists shelf height)?

6) Where can I get a good deal on one? I live near a Tweeter and they will price match.

Sorry for all the questions, but it would take forever to read through all the posts on here and I'm looking to buy pretty soon! :) Thanks for the help!!!

I tried to search the thread for help on this, but I had no luck. I am trying to get rid of the component 2(Sammy 5668) input when I switch between the inputs. I have nothing connected to the component 2 input, but it wont go away. All the other inputs seem to disappear when items are disconnected.

Thanks

Turn off DNIe and you won't have this problem.

Turning off DNIe does not solve the Dynamic Range bug. I have DNIe completely turned off but the Dynamic Range problem is still evident and I must enter a discrete picture mode command to work around it.

Turning off DNIe does not solve the Dynamic Range bug. I have DNIe completely turned off but the Dynamic Range problem is still evident and I must enter a discrete picture mode command to work around it.

What exactly is the Dynamiic Range Bug?
What does it cause?
What discrete code do you use to get around it?

THANKS!!

when will Samsung announce the release of the 2006 models in the US?

thanks!

What exactly is the Dynamiic Range Bug?
What does it cause?
What discrete code do you use to get around it?

THANKS!!

When you switch inputs (e.g. from Component to HDMI) it causes crushed blacks. No shadow detail, just inky black. It may be specific to the HDMI inputs only. To see it, just pause a dark scene on your DVD or DVR (whichever you have on HDMI) and make note of the shadow detail. Switch to another input, then switch back, all shadow detail will be gone. To work around it, you can issue a discrete picture mode command (e.g. Movie) or using the menu, switch from your current picture mode to another picture mode, then back.

when will Samsung announce the release of the 2006 models in the US?

thanks!

They have been. This thread: Samsung 2006 DLP HDTV Discussion --- HLSxxxxW Models (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=626669) has all of the information.

Has anyone noticed through a Costco link http://www.costco.com/Images/Content/Misc/PDF/975535.PDF that a DVDR120, DVR recorder, is free with purchase Nov 1, '05 through Feb 5, '06 of HLP5663/74/85/ 6163/ HLR5656/67/68/77/78/88/ 6167/68/78/68/ 6767/ 7178 and some LN-R machines with Super Bowl Highlights DVD. I was hoping for a 50" but it is not in the list and guess I'll have to wait to see it at a reasonable price although I did find one dealer under $2600 shipped for the HLR5078. Almost there but gets harder with 720p versions down to $1600 or so.
-Ken

They have been. This thread: msung 2006 DLP HDTV Discussion --- HLSxxxxW Models [/URL] has all of the information.
10,000 posts.......now thats a big friggin help

10,000 posts.......now thats a big friggin help
Read the first few pages of this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6852836&&#post6852836

Superbowl XL quote from TVTechnology com
ABC Sports will field test the Sony advanced prototype HD super slo-mo camera system, according to Robert Willox, director of marketing for content creation at Sony Electronics. He said the world's first 3x super slo-mo camera captures video at 180 fps in multiple HD formats, from 720p to 1080i, "so the camera will be useful for NBC or CBS the next time they air the Super Bowl." Several engineers from the Sony design center in Atsugi, Japan, will baby-sit the prototype during game, according to Willox. Sony also is providing its Cinealta HDW-F900 camera, which will shoot HD 1080p at 24 fps for archive material to be created by NFL Films.

Hey all...I have a question about overscan. How much overscan should be expected from these TVs? I have an Oppo DVD player, hooked to my 5688 via HDMI to DVI cable. PQ is great and all that...but there seems to be more overscan than I would guess is typical, but I really have no idea, hehe. I've created a cap from Star Wars that I picked because there was a very nice landmark on the screen. If I use the oppo to "zoom" to 1/2 size, the amount missing is obvious. The yellow stripes show where the edges of my screen image are.

Thanks!


SV

When you switch inputs (e.g. from Component to HDMI) it causes crushed blacks. No shadow detail, just inky black. It may be specific to the HDMI inputs only. To see it, just pause a dark scene on your DVD or DVR (whichever you have on HDMI) and make note of the shadow detail. Switch to another input, then switch back, all shadow detail will be gone. To work around it, you can issue a discrete picture mode command (e.g. Movie) or using the menu, switch from your current picture mode to another picture mode, then back.

I'll have to try this myself. I think another workaround, though, is to go to the brightness adjustment and change it by one point and then back again. I noticed this when trying to adjust the calibration with the THX pattern for brightness. It looks too dark at first and moving the adjustment by one point and then back made the screen look the way it is supposed to. Do we know why this occurs? I've been following the thread but I must have missed discussion about the cause.

By default about 2.5%. The "1080i Overscan" setting in the service mode can be toggled to get it down to about 1.5% (with 1:1 pixel mapping) but it won't "stick" and after turning the TV off and on again or switching inputs, it may revert back to the 2.5% setting.

By comparison, most CRT RPTV's come from the factory with 4-6% overscan.

Hey all...I have a question about overscan. How much overscan should be expected from these TVs? I have an Oppo DVD player, hooked to my 5688 via HDMI to DVI cable. PQ is great and all that...but there seems to be more overscan than I would guess is typical, but I really have no idea, hehe. I've created a cap from Star Wars that I picked because there was a very nice landmark on the screen. If I use the oppo to "zoom" to 1/2 size, the amount missing is obvious. The yellow stripes show where the edges of my screen image are.

Thanks!


SV

I tried to search the thread for help on this, but I had no luck. I am trying to get rid of the component 2(Sammy 5668) input when I switch between the inputs. I have nothing connected to the component 2 input, but it wont go away. All the other inputs seem to disappear when items are disconnected.

Thanks
You cannot get rid of any inputs. The HDMI inputs disappear automatically because of the standard.

Well, I just thought it was odd that once I disconnected the Component1, PC, or the HDMI inputs, they would disappear on the input switch rotation. However, Component2 will not drop out of the Input rotation, it acts as if something is still connected to it. I think the manual states that the TV is smart enough to know what is connected and remove it from the input selections, when something is not there.

It sounds like a glitch of some sort. I've never seen an input (other than Antenna) persist when nothing is connected to it. (I'm not sure what Chris is referring to).

I would try unplugging the TV for a few minutes and see if that doesn't clear it up.

Does anyone have a link that has the measurements of the matching stand? I'm specifically looking for shelf height and width, not just the overall height and width of the stand. Thanks for any help!

I think if you go to the Sam site where you find your set, you'll see the stand listed and then there is a link for the stand for more info. Somewhere around there are the specs for the stand. You might be better off doing a search on the Sam site with the stand model number.

Steve,

I tried to remove the inputs and unplug the TV for awhile, but as usual everything was gone except the component2 input. Very strange. Maybe I have a flakey input switcher. I had another odd glitch also with inputs. After I connected my Xbox 360 to PC port, it seemed like I would lose my cable signal input. What would happen is, I had my basic cable line plugged into the cable/antenna input and everything would work great(HD and all). Then after a little time and switching inputs, etc, I would lose the cable signal all together on the antenna1 input. Physically switching the cable to antenna2 and all of a sudden all the stations were back. It would go out peridoically on both inputs, but work on the other one, when I switched it. I got frustrated and used a splitter to split the signal to both inputs, now of course I dont lose the signal.

This all seemed to start happening after I starting using the PC input, but it might be a total coincedence.

So, I may just have some flakey stuff going on when it comes to the inputs.

Anyone else have either of these issues I mentioned?

Thanks

Hi everyone. First of all, I really love my Sammy! :) I've had the 6168 since August and purchased through the TVA Power Buy. However, the tv has developed purple line of translucent tiny dots that have appeared on the left edge of my screen. It is about a quarter inch wide, starting at the bottom left corner and goes about 3/4 of the way up the screen, gradually shrinking in width till it disappears. It appears on all inputs and appeared within the last week. I've left the tv unplugged for 18 hrs (had to work so no biggie) no change.

I've called Samsung support and they suggested that my speakers might be interfering with the screen. I find that hard to believe as the speakers are shielded and both sit 14 inches from the sides of my tv.Plus, they never gave my CRT any problems and they were a lot closer to the tube! Only the left side is affected, so I figured that if it is the speaker it would affect both sides of the TV. I've moved the speaker about 6 feet away to try to prove/disprove the speaker theory given by Samsung tech support.

Has anyone ran into this problem? Any thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks! :D

I've called Samsung support and they suggested that my speakers might be interfering with the screen. I find that hard to believe as the speakers are shielded and both sit 14 inches from the sides of my tv.

Whatever is causing your problem, it isn't your speakers (unlike CRTs, DLP-TVs cannot be affected by speaker magnets).

Thanks, Manatas. I really didn't think the speakers were the cause. I guess I'll have to give Samsung support a call again to discuss my problem.

Turning off DNIe does not solve the Dynamic Range bug. I have DNIe completely turned off but the Dynamic Range problem is still evident and I must enter a discrete picture mode command to work around it.

I've seen mine occur occasinally but it seems to happen after I use the PC input. 95% of the time I am using the HDMI input and I don't see the dynamic range problem.

No way thats caused by magnetic interference. That problem is only for CRTs.
Sounds about typical for Samsung CS to imply that you could fix it by moving your speaker.
My thoughts are that Sammy has been inundated by calls with these sets dropping left and right. Mine died 45 days or so into owning it and I have had such bad support that I started a whole other thread to get some assitance from fellow AVSrs.
I suspect its the digital board or maybe the DMD board. They should issue a service call for your set and get it working again. Ask for RSE coverage in your area. I believe that (RSE) will be a Samsung trained field technician.

With all the problems that Im seeing on these sets Im wondering about a QC issue here.

Keep posting as you recieve updates or resolution on your current TV problems.


Hi everyone. First of all, I really love my Sammy! :) I've had the 6168 since August and purchased through the TVA Power Buy. However, the tv has developed purple line of translucent tiny dots that have appeared on the left edge of my screen. It is about a quarter inch wide, starting at the bottom left corner and goes about 3/4 of the way up the screen, gradually shrinking in width till it disappears. It appears on all inputs and appeared within the last week. I've left the tv unplugged for 18 hrs (had to work so no biggie) no change.

I've called Samsung support and they suggested that my speakers might be interfering with the screen. I find that hard to believe as the speakers are shielded and both sit 14 inches from the sides of my tv.Plus, they never gave my CRT any problems and they were a lot closer to the tube! Only the left side is affected, so I figured that if it is the speaker it would affect both sides of the TV. I've moved the speaker about 6 feet away to try to prove/disprove the speaker theory given by Samsung tech support.

Has anyone ran into this problem? Any thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks! :D

I doubted the speaker thing too but I didn't have time to argue as I had a dinner engagement. Luckily, my set is still working, the little purple dots are a minor annoyance but they are not supposed to be there. Luckily, I still have 10 months left on the warranty.

One more question, how does Samsung service calls work? I assume that they send out a tech with a loaded van and work on the set at my home, only taking the set if it is something extreme? This is my first HD DLP and I do plan on keeping it awhile! Sorry to hear about all of the trouble with you set, jonnyzcar. :eek:

One more thing, I've notice that the screen "flashes" for a second every once in awhile as if it is trying to refresh itself. Is this a normal occurace on a DLP set? It never really bothered me but I wonder if it is related to the purple dot problem.... :confused:






No way thats caused by magnetic interference. That problem is only for CRTs.
Sounds about typical for Samsung CS to imply that you could fix it by moving your speaker.
My thoughts are that Sammy has been inundated by calls with these sets dropping left and right. Mine died 45 days or so into owning it and I have had such bad support that I started a whole other thread to get some assitance from fellow AVSrs.
I suspect its the digital board or maybe the DMD board. They should issue a service call for your set and get it working again. Ask for RSE coverage in your area. I believe that (RSE) will be a Samsung trained field technician.

With all the problems that Im seeing on these sets Im wondering about a QC issue here.

Keep posting as you recieve updates or resolution on your current TV problems.

I've seen mine occur occasinally but it seems to happen after I use the PC input. 95% of the time I am using the HDMI input and I don't see the dynamic range problem.

That might explain why I see it all the time on my HDMI as the only other input I use is the PC input.

I was told by Samsung CS, and I think they slipped up and told me because I didn’t get this information until I had a rep that was more helpful than previous experiences. He told me that the policy is usually that any set over 26” is to be serviced in home and not to be transported. However they rolled the dice with mine and I ended up with other problems that I now have to get repaired. The field engineers that are now supposed to be coming to my home are coming with the parts and will replace them on site.
The CS dept goes by your zip code. If you are in a big city you should be within range of a Samsung field engineer. Use your zip code when you call them and ask about RSE coverage in your area, they will know what that means. If you are not near a big city meaning closer than 45 min to an hour just use the zip code of the big city and try to get the engineer to come to your home for the service. If you think you will get a good repair shop that will handle your set properly then you can just accept whatever they give you.
Hopefully your repair will go more smoothly than mine.

Regarding your question about the screen flickering or refreshing, I saw the same behavior right before mine died. I saw the screen flicker or flash and then it would go away. I can’t say if that is what you are seeing but it could be. Mine completely quit working and the lamp standby light would flash. The lamp would power up and the fans and color wheel would spin up but it did not have a picture, meaning that the DMD chip was not engaging or functioning.

Give Samsung CS a call and let us know the results




I doubted the speaker thing too but I didn't have time to argue as I had a dinner engagement. Luckily, my set is still working, the little purple dots are a minor annoyance but they are not supposed to be there. Luckily, I still have 10 months left on the warranty.

One more question, how does Samsung service calls work? I assume that they send out a tech with a loaded van and work on the set at my home, only taking the set if it is something extreme? This is my first HD DLP and I do plan on keeping it awhile! Sorry to hear about all of the trouble with you set, jonnyzcar.

One more thing, I've notice that the screen "flashes" for a second every once in awhile as if it is trying to refresh itself. Is this a normal occurace on a DLP set? It never really bothered me but I wonder if it is related to the purple dot problem....

Hi everyone. First of all, I really love my Sammy! :) I've had the 6168 since August and purchased through the TVA Power Buy. However, the tv has developed purple line of translucent tiny dots that have appeared on the left edge of my screen. It is about a quarter inch wide, starting at the bottom left corner and goes about 3/4 of the way up the screen, gradually shrinking in width till it disappears. It appears on all inputs and appeared within the last week. I've left the tv unplugged for 18 hrs (had to work so no biggie) no change.

I've called Samsung support and they suggested that my speakers might be interfering with the screen. I find that hard to believe as the speakers are shielded and both sit 14 inches from the sides of my tv.Plus, they never gave my CRT any problems and they were a lot closer to the tube! Only the left side is affected, so I figured that if it is the speaker it would affect both sides of the TV. I've moved the speaker about 6 feet away to try to prove/disprove the speaker theory given by Samsung tech support.
Has anyone ran into this problem? Any thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks! :D

I had the same problem just pop up last weekend. I searched this forum and found a few that have had this problem also. I think one guy said his just went away one day. No definite corrective action. So last week I set an appointment for today and the tech just left my house, and I couldn't be happier. He said he didn't know what the problem was when he saw it. After he checked the lamp, removed the entire engine, checked it out put it back in the problem was still there. Went to his truck and got another light engine, installed it and presto the dark stripe is gone! All during the repair, he was very friendly and was explaining what he was doing. He even pulled out the color wheel to show me what it was. I have to say after lots of lackluster customer service experiences last year it was very refreshing to get this kind of service. My wife did say that the wait on the phone for customer service was long, but I suggest calling in and getting your appointment set as soon as possible. I'm starring at my tv right now.....it might even look better than before! Probably not, but I'm glad the stripe is gone!

Does anyone have a link that has the measurements of the matching stand? I'm specifically looking for shelf height and width, not just the overall height and width of the stand. Thanks for any help!
Here is a link for the 61" stand's instructions. It probably does not have all you want but it lists the mfg of the stand as ameriwood. You might want to send an inquiry directly to them for specific details.

http://product.samsung.com/pdf/tr61X2b.pdf

http://www.ameriwood.com/customerservice/index.aspx

FWIW, the Ameriwood 61" stand was too low for my liking. I much prefer the viewing height of the 5688 pedastal model I have now.

The Tweeter tech just left after inspecting my TV. It's an HLR5078. It's my second set and both had this pattern across the top inch and about two thirds down. It's some kind of diffraction. We determined that it is coming from the optical engine itself. We opened the side port and we were able to see the light against the mirror. Samsung tech support was not aware of this issue and could only suggest to change the light engine. It'll take a couple of weeks for the part to arrive. I'll report on the results after the replacement is in. Fortunately, Tweeter will still replace the set if the repair doesn't work. I opted to try and repair this since that option is still open to me and I hope that we'll get a little information on this problem by going through with the repair. I guess I'll have to put off my calibration for awhile.

Bill

Just curious... For those of you with the 5668 Pedstal, I would like to ask: What are you guys putting your components on? I bought the pedestal, but not the rack that goes around it because you can only really get 4 components on there comfortably (I have a bunch of game systems.) I'm wondering if anyone here came up with a good solution or can point me to a cool rack, etc.

Just curious... For those of you with the 5668 Pedstal, I would like to ask: What are you guys putting your components on? I bought the pedestal, but not the rack that goes around it because you can only really get 4 components on there comfortably (I have a bunch of game systems.) I'm wondering if anyone here came up with a good solution or can point me to a cool rack, etc.

I had purchased the wrap-around rack that is designed for the TV. I have used that and the TV base to hold various components. I typically have only three items attached (H20, DVD, VCR) the the PC and PS2 coming and going as wanted.

The Tweeter tech just left after inspecting my TV. It's an HLR5078. It's my second set and both had this pattern across the top inch and about two thirds down. It's some kind of diffraction. We determined that it is coming from the optical engine itself. We opened the side port and we were able to see the light against the mirror. Samsung tech support was not aware of this issue and could only suggest to change the light engine. It'll take a couple of weeks for the part to arrive. I'll report on the results after the replacement is in. Fortunately, Tweeter will still replace the set if the repair doesn't work. I opted to try and repair this since that option is still open to me and I hope that we'll get a little information on this problem by going through with the repair. I guess I'll have to put off my calibration for awhile.

Bill


That Samsung Tech support is "not aware of this issue" is pure BS. They have been hearing reports of screen issues and anomalies for months and it has reached high levels at Samsung.

See:

This thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=630815) and This One (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=599100). I can almost guarantee you there are many others buried in the many pages of these forums.

That Samsung Tech support is "not aware of this issue" is pure BS. They have been hearing reports of screen issues and anomalies for months and it has reached high levels at Samsung.

See:

This thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=630815) and This One (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=599100). I can almost guarantee you there are many others buried in the many pages of these forums.

I don't disagree. The Tweeter tech also thought it was a bit of a blow off. I haven't seen a report that my particular maladay has been resolved on someone else's set. This is one of the problems from Johnnyzcar's thread. If it's simply a bad lot of light engines for the 5078, hopefully a new one will resolve the problem. But, it doesn't explain the same problem on other models.

I saw an issue with my 5668 last night. I notice that under a total black picture, the left side of the screen about a 9-10 inch strip(right where the letterbox for 4:3 would be) is lighter than the rest of the screen. I slightly noticed this during dark parts of shows also. You definately see it when you turn the set off, and it goes black prior to shutting down. I ran a DVD with total black scenes, but actually didnt notice it much with the DVD playing. I saw that FlipperInNJ also had this issue, but it doesnt sound like he found a fix.

I checked around this thread a bit, and noticed someone mentioning(for a different issue) adjusting the sub-brightness level in service menu. I pulled it up and tried to lower it a bit, but nothing happened. However, when I went up a couple notches, it kinda seemed to help by brightning the whole screen a bit more to match the strip.

Just wondering if anyone had any other suggestions. I am having ChadB(who I found on this site) calibrate the TV this Saturday, and I didnt want him coming out if I had any major problems with the TV.

The only other problem I have had so far is Component2 not going away when I have nothing connected to it. I mentioned that in an earlier post, but no solutions on that problem.

I saw an issue with my 5668 last night. I notice that under a total black picture, the left side of the screen about a 9-10 inch strip(right where the letterbox for 4:3 would be) is lighter than the rest of the screen. I slightly noticed this during dark parts of shows also. You definately see it when you turn the set off, and it goes black prior to shutting down. I ran a DVD with total black scenes, but actually didnt notice it much with the DVD playing. I saw that FlipperInNJ also had this issue, but it doesnt sound like he found a fix.



The "uniformity" of brightness on my set is the same as you describe in a dark room. I'd love to know if anyone has a totally uniform dark screen in a dark room. My first set was bad enough that it affected the picture on the left side of the screen. My current set has the same issue but it is much less pronounced. It has to be light bleeding within the TV chassis or within the light engine itself. Some calibrators are lining the inside of the chassis with light absorbing material which should reduce the effect if it's due to reflections in the chassis but I doubt it would help if it's coming from the light engine itself.

Ok, well that kinda makes me feel a little better, as long as I dont notice it on the main picture much. My light has to be coming from inside TV, since I was watching the TV in almost total darkness in the room. My set is in the basement with no windows, so I have good light control.

I will talk with my calibrator this weekend and see what he thinks about the light absorbing materials. I dont notice the differences on the main screen as much, but that left side strip could be a problem, now that I see it.

Thanks

Some calibrators are lining the inside of the chassis with light absorbing material which should reduce the effect if it's due to reflections in the chassis but I doubt it would help if it's coming from the light engine itself.

In previous posts I have noted that before having velux lining put in my set the screen looked "blotchy" when on, but with no signal being fed.


After the velux lining the screen is black. (OK, you can still see a little of the dark area if you look very close.)

The lining treatment has made a dramatic difference in picture quality. Blacks are truly black. Shadow tonality and detail is improved significantly.

Again, Samsung should take note and build internal light adsorption into the set design.

jim

After searching the forum on Velux, I did learn alot about how this can help out. However, I noticed even the Pros(Eliab), have had issues with the 68 series, when it comes to installing this material. I have a 5668 and was wondering if anyone has had any luck with the Velux on the 68 series. If so, did you do it yourself or pro install?

Thanks

In previous posts I have noted that before having velux lining put in my set the screen looked "blotchy" when on, but with no signal being fed.


After the velux lining the screen is black. (OK, you can still see a little of the dark area if you look very close.)

The lining treatment has made a dramatic difference in picture quality. Blacks are truly black. Shadow tonality and detail is improved significantly.

Again, Samsung should take note and build internal light adsorption into the set design.

jim

Where does one buy this velux lining?

There was a link to the mcmaster carr website to the specific part number for the light absorption material with adhesive backing.
I asked in another reply and didn't receive an answer.
I know somewhere here or in another thread there are posted links directly to this material. I searched for a while and couldn't find it. I would be interested in this material also, however with the problems I'm having with my 6768 I'm not sure I'll be keeping it.

Actually found a part number and its for the adhesive backed material, this number is #88015K2. That is what Eliab is using for some of his installs. Go to www.mcmaster.com and use that number it's at the bottom of the page.

What is the status of your set? Have they started to work on it yet? I don't have an understanding of how the velux is attached to the set? I thought the velux is a sort of fabric material? My only concern is if it falls and hits the lens. That's why I was interested in spray painting the walls matte black but wonder if that would void the warranty?

Personally I wouldn't paint the inside of the TV. To do it right you would need to completely disassemble the chassis. If you didn't the over spray would most likely get inside the projection system and the fumes would linger.

I have a picture of a completed velux treatment using foamcore boards. I think if you just purchased the adhesive backed material it could be stuck to the inside of the TV.

My TV is still like it was (reflections and hashmark problem) and I'm waiting on service from the Samsung field engineers.
When they come to service the TV I will show them the problems I have and before they leave we will check it again to see if it's resolved. If it's still there, then I don't know what to do except try for a refund or exchange but I'm leaning towards a refund or credit becuase other members have been through several sets only to have the same issues. I don't know if it's just a design flaw or just problems that can be fixed with a LE replacement and new digital boards.

m4carbine thinks I should contact an attorney about this and I'm thinking I might.

I had 6168 calibrated and had the velux installed without the foamcore boards. I'm not certain why the foamcore boards are necessary.. as the velux by itself will do the same thing? It took two people to properly install the velux but it really wasn't bad. Gregg Loewen of lionav.com did the work for me and blacks and picture depth both look noticeably better.


I have a DNIe question. It was disabled during the calibration. I want to turn it back on for comparision purposes. Whenever I go into the service menu and turn on the appropriate settings, they all remain on (like I want them to) after a restart of the set except for the "DNIe On/Off" setting. I can't seem to get this to stick to "On". It always reverts back to "Off". I think I have read about this in this thread.. but obviously can't find the solution. Any quick answers on this one?

Hey all - I have not even looked at this forum since I actually received my 6768 back in the summer. All I have to say is that I love this TV. I bought the Outlaw audio 990 (paired with my older outlaw 770 amp) and it has time delay (eliminating the words being out of sync when someone is speaking). Rarely see this anyway. Playing X-Box, using the HD DVR 942 (Dish networks brutal horrible version of a Tivo from another planet), watching DVD's, watching OTA sports in HD, Voom from Dish network..., playing World of Warcraft on the computer, All AMAZING!


I had a custom cabinet built, the TV can pull out and rotate and the stereo components can be pulled out and rotated in a special cabinet.


Great set. can't wait for the superbowl. I had a friend over for the Rose bowl, and he started weeping. So glad i bought this unit.

I have a DNIe question. It was disabled during the calibration. I want to turn it back on for comparision purposes. Whenever I go into the service menu and turn on the appropriate settings, they all remain on (like I want them to) after a restart of the set except for the "DNIe On/Off" setting. I can't seem to get this to stick to "On". It always reverts back to "Off". I think I have read about this in this thread.. but obviously can't find the solution. Any quick answers on this one?

The service mode parameter always says off, but it is really only on. If you toggle it on and back off, it actually turns it off, but it won't survive a power cycle, input change, etc.

So, just pretend that parameter is always on. It is a glitch/bug in their service mode.

If you hook an HDMI input (say from an upconverting DVD player) into the TV and use an optical out, should you get 5.1 sound? I had mine hooked up this way earlier tonight, but I was only getting stereo sound out to my receiver... Does HDMI carry 5.1 sound or just stereo? The TV wouldn't allow me to adjust whatever the setting is called for Dolby Digital, it acted as if the optical out wasn't even connected--any ideas? Thanks!

Hey cyphire,
put your 942 into screen saver mode, just turn it off and the dishlogo should float around the screen. Make sure all other ambient light is off and the room is dark.
Take a look at your screen and tell us what you see. Look at the top of your screen along the top edge about 2-3 inches down. Also look for funny reflections and post back here. I have pics of mine and would like to find someone who does NOT have the Hashmark problem.

Thanks


Hey all - I have not even looked at this forum since I actually received my 6768 back in the summer. All I have to say is that I love this TV. I bought the Outlaw audio 990 (paired with my older outlaw 770 amp) and it has time delay (eliminating the words being out of sync when someone is speaking). Rarely see this anyway. Playing X-Box, using the HD DVR 942 (Dish networks brutal horrible version of a Tivo from another planet), watching DVD's, watching OTA sports in HD, Voom from Dish network..., playing World of Warcraft on the computer, All AMAZING!


I had a custom cabinet built, the TV can pull out and rotate and the stereo components can be pulled out and rotated in a special cabinet.


Great set. can't wait for the superbowl. I had a friend over for the Rose bowl, and he started weeping. So glad i bought this unit.

I have tried everything to get my Component2 input to stop showing up on the input rotation. Nothing seems to work. Is there and easy setting in the service menu to turn off the Component2 input? I dont use it and would just assume disable for now.

Thanks

If you hook an HDMI input (say from an upconverting DVD player) into the TV and use an optical out, should you get 5.1 sound? I had mine hooked up this way earlier tonight, but I was only getting stereo sound out to my receiver... Does HDMI carry 5.1 sound or just stereo? The TV wouldn't allow me to adjust whatever the setting is called for Dolby Digital, it acted as if the optical out wasn't even connected--any ideas? Thanks!
You will need to run the optical cable from the DVD player directly to your AVR to get 5.1. You can still use the HDMI to the TV for the video. The manual certainly seems to imply that your way should work but apparently it does not. This was a big discussion topic when these models came out this summer.

i am a new member. Wow.. you guys are so knowledgeable.
I just bought the hlr6768... the picture quality is very good. ..
My setup... direct tv h20 with a 5LNB antenna.
I have a few questions.
1. When I connect the tv using HDMI from the Dtv receiver, the picture is little blurred. with component, it is much better. what should i do? Even with that, the picture quality is not all that great.

2. I also want to know whether i should do calibration. live in W.Los Angeles.
3. got Samsung hd950 dvd. not satisfied with the picture quality? what DVD player you recommend.
thank you for your response.

PS: wrong question may be on this forum.. would you recommend a HP 65" or Sony SXRD instead. I am concerned about the PQ on my Sammy.

i am a new member. Wow.. you guys are so knowledgeable.
I just bought the hlr6768... the picture quality is very good. ..
My setup... direct tv h20 with a 5LNB antenna.
I have a few questions.
1. When I connect the tv using HDMI from the Dtv receiver, the picture is little blurred. with component, it is much better. what should i do? Even with that, the picture quality is not all that great.

2. I also want to know whether i should do calibration. live in W.Los Angeles.
3. got Samsung hd950 dvd. not satisfied with the picture quality? what DVD player you recommend.
thank you for your response.

PS: wrong question may be on this forum.. would you recommend a HP 65" or Sony SXRD instead. I am concerned about the PQ on my Sammy.
Try a Sony NS3100ES for the DVD player. If that is more than you want to spend, look at POST #4 in this thread. You need to get your setup running correctly before considering calibrating it. Perhaps one of the Direct TV owners might be able to help you with the sat question ... I'm on Comcast cable.

Personally I wouldn't paint the inside of the TV. To do it right you would need to completely disassemble the chassis. If you didn't the over spray would most likely get inside the projection system and the fumes would linger.

I have a picture of a completed velux treatment using foamcore boards. I think if you just purchased the adhesive backed material it could be stuck to the inside of the TV.

My TV is still like it was (reflections and hashmark problem) and I'm waiting on service from the Samsung field engineers.
When they come to service the TV I will show them the problems I have and before they leave we will check it again to see if it's resolved. If it's still there, then I don't know what to do except try for a refund or exchange but I'm leaning towards a refund or credit becuase other members have been through several sets only to have the same issues. I don't know if it's just a design flaw or just problems that can be fixed with a LE replacement and new digital boards.

m4carbine thinks I should contact an attorney about this and I'm thinking I might.

So you install this velux stuff to reduce light reflections is that right? Isn't the inside of the cabinet already a dark or black or is it just prone to light reflections from th factory?

Try a Sony NS3100ES for the DVD player. If that is more than you want to spend, look at POST #4 in this thread. You need to get your setup running correctly before considering calibrating it. Perhaps one of the Direct TV owners might be able to help you with the sat question ... I'm on Comcast cable.

Thank you.. what do you mean by setup done correctly? would you give me guidance on that please. thanks.

Thank you.. what do you mean by setup done correctly? would you give me guidance on that please. thanks.
A calibrator will try to get the most out of your TV and the attached components. So, for example ... they would adjust your set to work with your Samsung HD950 DVD player. If you then decide that you do not like the Samsung HD950 (a good decision) and get another DVD player and adjust the new player differently than your calibration will not be as effective. The best approach is to get the DVD player that you will be using for a while and set it up correctly and then have the calibration done. Same logic for your Direct TV setup. It does not sound like it is working correctly. It would be better to find the problem and fix it before having an expensive calibration on a device that is malfunctioning or not setup correctly. Many AV specialists will help you buy and setup the right components and then calibrate your system to get the most out of the total system.

The Samsung HD950 does not pass blacker-than-black to the TV. This can lead to a darker picture with less detail in the dark areas. It has several other problems which are discussed in POST #4. If you pickup the Sony, realize that it will perform best in certain picture modes.

I'm no expert on this but one of the calibrators started installing this material inside the Samsung DLPs to give better blacks. The material is supposed to absorb reflections which gives better blacks. The inside of the TV is a gray not black. I have heard of this trick before and it is supposed to work. I have not done this on my set so I haven't seen it in person.

Here's a pic of the inside of the 6168 with the screen removed.


So you install this velux stuff to reduce light reflections is that right? Isn't the inside of the cabinet already a dark or black or is it just prone to light reflections from th factory?

Vegasjay, this really puzzles me. I wonder if you were to start with the set off. Connect something to component 2 and power both on. Then turn off the sammy, turn off the unit on component 2 and remove it. Turn the sammy on and see if it is gone? This problem doesn't make sense but I guess if everything is working I'd be reluctant to get it fixed.

I'm no expert on this but one of the calibrators started installing this material inside the Samsung DLPs to give better blacks. The material is supposed to absorb reflections which gives better blacks. The inside of the TV is a gray not black. I have heard of this trick before and it is supposed to work. I have not done this on my set so I haven't seen it in person.

Here's a pic of the inside of the 6168 with the screen removed.

Hmm could this be installed by an owner or is it best to have an expert do it? Not that I'm having any problems with my 5668 but I really do like to tinker with stuff. :)

Hi all, I'm new on this thread. Been on the Sony XBR thread after I bought the 60", but then found out that the VGA plug on that set is pretty useless (1280 x 1024 best resolution so doesnt fill screen), and even using DVI > HDMI could not get a clear screen with 1920 x 1080.

I returned the Sony, and circuit city talked me into trying the Samsung 6768. Have a couple of questions for the old pros on this thread (looked through several pages before posting this)
1. Have you guys had any trouble getting 1920 x 1080 through the vga port?

2. I have my Directv HD Tivo hooked to the HDMI, should I do the same with this TV (saw a couple of posts discussing problems with this)?

3. Is there a thread for "tweaks and settings" for the HLRxxx8W TV's?

4. While perusing these, I found several referrals to lip sync issues..is this a real problem with these sets?

5. Finally, any recurrent issues with these sets I need to look for?

Really appreciate any input on these, as CC is picking up my Sony and bringing the Samsung on Monday. Thanks! :)

Hi all, I'm new on this thread. Been on the Sony XBR thread after I bought the 60", but then found out that the VGA plug on that set is pretty useless (1280 x 1024 best resolution so doesnt fill screen), and even using DVI > HDMI could not get a clear screen with 1920 x 1080.

I returned the Sony, and circuit city talked me into trying the Samsung 6768. Have a couple of questions for the old pros on this thread (looked through several pages before posting this)
1. Have you guys had any trouble getting 1920 x 1080 through the vga port?

2. I have my Directv HD Tivo hooked to the HDMI, should I do the same with this TV (saw a couple of posts discussing problems with this)?

3. Is there a thread for "tweaks and settings" for the HLRxxx8W TV's?

4. While perusing these, I found several referrals to lip sync issues..is this a real problem with these sets?

5. Finally, any recurrent issues with these sets I need to look for?

Really appreciate any input on these, as CC is picking up my Sony and bringing the Samsung on Monday. Thanks! :)
1. No, works great.
2. Start with HDMI, it should be OK.
3. Yes, there are several that deal with Service Menu tweaks, but as a new owner I would not get into the Service Menu for a while.
4. Yes, set your delay for 110ms and then adjust as required.
5. There is one subtle problem. You might not even notice it. We call it the dynamic range problem. It has been discussed several times in this thread. There is a work around if you find that it is occuring on your set.

Does anyone know what they use to attach the foam core panels inside the case?

Thanks

Hi all, I'm new on this thread. Been on the Sony XBR thread after I bought the 60", but then found out that the VGA plug on that set is pretty useless (1280 x 1024 best resolution so doesnt fill screen), and even using DVI > HDMI could not get a clear screen with 1920 x 1080.

I returned the Sony, and circuit city talked me into trying the Samsung 6768. Have a couple of questions for the old pros on this thread (looked through several pages before posting this)
1. Have you guys had any trouble getting 1920 x 1080 through the vga port?

2. I have my Directv HD Tivo hooked to the HDMI, should I do the same with this TV (saw a couple of posts discussing problems with this)?

3. Is there a thread for "tweaks and settings" for the HLRxxx8W TV's?

4. While perusing these, I found several referrals to lip sync issues..is this a real problem with these sets?

5. Finally, any recurrent issues with these sets I need to look for?

Really appreciate any input on these, as CC is picking up my Sony and bringing the Samsung on Monday. Thanks! :)



4) As UCSB said, there can be lip sync but there will be no lip sync when using VGA input

It has been suggested that after changing inputs, re-enter the picture mode (ie movie) to reduce the crushing black levels.

I have my MX850 to issue the discrete movie mode command 12 seconds after I turn on the TV and 5 seconds when switching to the HDMI input from another source. It seems to work well.

Does anyone have any other suggestions to program the discrete mode while watching?

Thanks in advance.

Art

Hmm could this be installed by an owner or is it best to have an expert do it? Not that I'm having any problems with my 5668 but I really do like to tinker with stuff. :)

The Pros are doing it only on the 78 series, not the 68. The 68 is too complex for them to make any money at it.

Does that mean it's too complicated for a DIY or just not profitable for the Pros because it takes too long or too involved. I dont mind taking my time and doing it myself.

Pixguy had it done on a 68 and did mention it being more complicated, but his is done. I have a PM into him asking for any help he can provide about the complexity. There was a pic posted yesterday showing the inside of a 68 done. I guess its very tricky if you try to use the foamcore.

If you want to check the firmware release (and many other items), you can just go to the diagnostic info screens. There are two ways to get to these screens. The best way is to issue a discrete IR command. Diagnostic screen #1 is code C0 in HEX and diagnostic screen #2 is C1.

I have successfully programmed these diagnostic screen discretes into my Harmony remote and they work as expected with my HL-R5078W.

Now for the dumb question: how do you exit the diagnostic screen without cycling the power on the TV? I've tried a couple of obvious things like issuing the discrete command a second time, but all to no avail. Help please from others who have these commands working as discretes.

Thanks,
Jim

Finally getting everything up and running... Just two questions:

1) Does the "noise reduction" do anything at all? I haven't seem to be able to notice a difference with it on or off.

2) What settings does everyone recommend under the "custom" video option? I've been playing around for a while, just looking for ideas.

Thanks!

Does that mean it's too complicated for a DIY or just not profitable for the Pros because it takes too long or too involved. I dont mind taking my time and doing it myself.

Pixguy had it done on a 68 and did mention it being more complicated, but his is done. I have a PM into him asking for any help he can provide about the complexity. There was a pic posted yesterday showing the inside of a 68 done. I guess its very tricky if you try to use the foamcore.


This is from my previous post:


On a 68 series set, the volume of the box that is the set is almost precisely identical to the volume of the light that is the projection. Almost any decrease in the internal volume of the box will encroach on the projected light and therefore block out part of your screen.

Installing foamcore of any serious thickness encroaches on the projected light as Eliab discovered on the installation of panels in Aaronwt's set. David
Abrams installed cloth in my set, but even that was tricky.


David used a double stick tape. Which brand? I don't know.

If you turn the set on during the installation the projection light is bright enough to clearly show areas of "cloth encroachment" on the light projection.

I perceive the process as more tedious than complicated. Measurements have to be made; cloth correctly cut; sealing to the cabinet tight. If you have tailoring or seamstress skills, it probably helps. Not joking.

The sealing of the cloth is not always easy on the curved surfaces of plastic. I have had a small area of cloth release that has to be fixed. David and I are going to work on it on Saturday.

So, conclusion. It's not a quick process. David took about 3 hours (more or less).

Two people might be needed for your set, definitely in my case with a 67" screen. There is wiring and snaps on the right side of the screen that have to be undone to remove the screen. This might require two people no matter how small the
screen.

I don't know about sources and or varieties of Velux. Whatever you use, it needs to be the thinnest material of its type. "Plush" is not a quality you should be looking for.

Good luck,
Jim

I have successfully programmed these diagnostic screen discretes into my Harmony remote and they work as expected with my HL-R5078W.

Now for the dumb question: how do you exit the diagnostic screen without cycling the power on the TV? I've tried a couple of obvious things like issuing the discrete command a second time, but all to no avail. Help please from others who have these commands working as discretes.

Thanks,
Jim
Working from memory ... but, I think EXIT will get you out.

Finally getting everything up and running... Just two questions:

1) Does the "noise reduction" do anything at all? I haven't seem to be able to notice a difference with it on or off.

2) What settings does everyone recommend under the "custom" video option? I've been playing around for a while, just looking for ideas.

Thanks!

You have to enable the NR in the service menu. It is disabled by default and changing it in the picture menu won't do anything that I can see. I definitely see a difference when I toggle it on and off in the SM.

Thanks for the info UCSB and GOOBTHENOOB!

Soo, means I need to get a new amp and toss the Kenwood for the time delay! Any suggestions for a good receiver?

Working from memory ... but, I think EXIT will get you out.

That does it. I forgot that I had assigned another function to the EXIT button on the remote in the device mode. Last time I'll do that, hopefully...;-)

Thanks,
Jim

I'm sorry if this cross-post bothers anyone but this issue has been discussed here as well as in johnnyzcar's thread.

I understand this a little better now and it really should be a simple fix. No, I didn't fiddle with the angle but I did get as close a look at lens assembly as I could without taking the screen off. There is a black plastic cowel over the lens. The opening is in the form of a rectangle but the whole thing is round. The light leaves the aperture, hits the mirror in the back of the chassis and manifests itself on the screen.

I first held a piece of paper in front of the mirror to block the light in the area of the both hashmark patterns. The screen was understandably dark but the pattern persisted. Partial conclusion: The pattern isn't coming from the inside of the light engine.

Then, I held a thin strip of paper between the lens assembly and the screen. When I got close enough, the pattern manifested itself on the paper and it was no longer on the screen. Despite my earlier thoughts that it was a single source repeating itself on the screen, I believe that the patterns are coming from reflections off the long edges of the rectangle formed by the cowel. I'm not sure which edge is responsible for which pattern because I was working alone and my arm isn't that long but this is definitely the source of the patterns.

Whether it's a design flaw or poor assembly, I can't say. I'm kind of surprised everone with a 5078 doesn't see this. The 6168 must have the same kind of setup. I'll be calling the Tweeter service rep who was out here last week to discuss this and report back. I don't think changing the light engine (in my case) is necessary.

Bill

Thanks for the info UCSB and GOOBTHENOOB!

Soo, means I need to get a new amp and toss the Kenwood for the time delay! Any suggestions for a good receiver?

You may want to consider a Felston delay device instead of a new receiver. It's cheaper than a new receiver and lip sync error isn't the same on all feeds so you may want to be able to change the delay conveniently.

Bill,

If I understand you correctly, it sounds as if lining the inside with Velux or something might get rid of this problem then? If so, that would be a fairly easy fix for something that seems to really have people frustrated.

VegasJay

Is it me, or is there more Rainbow Effect (RBE) with lower quality signal (i.e. LESS on HDTV)? If so, is there a technical reason for this?

Bill,

If I understand you correctly, it sounds as if lining the inside with Velux or something might get rid of this problem then? If so, that would be a fairly easy fix for something that seems to really have people frustrated.

VegasJay

No, the velux should improve the overall performance by reducing all the reflections in the chassis. The hashmark pattern is specific to the lens cover and something must be done to remove the reflections caused by the plastic. I suppose you could cover the edges of the lens cover with velux but it might be tricky considering how small the edges are.

Thanks for the update. So what you are saying is that you think the edges of the plastic cowling are protruding into the light path? I have a service manual and can look at the drawings to see the shape of the cowling and post if you want.

I had an update today from Complete electronics, and they are ready to install my parts but I have obligations out of town till Sunday and they wanted to come on Sat. :( I will also be away the following week so it looks like around the 18th of Feb. for my repairs.
It will be interesting to see what the tech determines is the problem, maybe it’s minor like you say.

I’m thinking it has to be in the light engine or light path but I may be wrong. It looks a lot like a broken prism or mirror to me.

Post your findings when you find out.






I'm sorry if this cross-post bothers anyone but this issue has been discussed here as well as in johnnyzcar's thread.

I understand this a little better now and it really should be a simple fix. No, I didn't fiddle with the angle but I did get as close a look at lens assembly as I could without taking the screen off. There is a black plastic cowel over the lens. The opening is in the form of a rectangle but the whole thing is round. The light leaves the aperture, hits the mirror in the back of the chassis and manifests itself on the screen.

I first held a piece of paper in front of the mirror to block the light in the area of the both hashmark patterns. The screen was understandably dark but the pattern persisted. Partial conclusion: The pattern isn't coming from the inside of the light engine.

Then, I held a thin strip of paper between the lens assembly and the screen. When I got close enough, the pattern manifested itself on the paper and it was no longer on the screen. Despite my earlier thoughts that it was a single source repeating itself on the screen, I believe that the patterns are coming from reflections off the long edges of the rectangle formed by the cowel. I'm not sure which edge is responsible for which pattern because I was working alone and my arm isn't that long but this is definitely the source of the patterns.

Whether it's a design flaw or poor assembly, I can't say. I'm kind of surprised everone with a 5078 doesn't see this. The 6168 must have the same kind of setup. I'll be calling the Tweeter service rep who was out here last week to discuss this and report back. I don't think changing the light engine (in my case) is necessary.

Bill

I'm sorry if this cross-post bothers anyone but this issue has been discussed here as well as in johnnyzcar's thread.

I understand this a little better now and it really should be a simple fix. No, I didn't fiddle with the angle but I did get as close a look at lens assembly as I could without taking the screen off. There is a black plastic cowel over the lens. The opening is in the form of a rectangle but the whole thing is round. The light leaves the aperture, hits the mirror in the back of the chassis and manifests itself on the screen.

I first held a piece of paper in front of the mirror to block the light in the area of the both hashmark patterns. The screen was understandably dark but the pattern persisted. Partial conclusion: The pattern isn't coming from the inside of the light engine.

Then, I held a thin strip of paper between the lens assembly and the screen. When I got close enough, the pattern manifested itself on the paper and it was no longer on the screen. Despite my earlier thoughts that it was a single source repeating itself on the screen, I believe that the patterns are coming from reflections off the long edges of the rectangle formed by the cowel. I'm not sure which edge is responsible for which pattern because I was working alone and my arm isn't that long but this is definitely the source of the patterns.

Whether it's a design flaw or poor assembly, I can't say. I'm kind of surprised everone with a 5078 doesn't see this. The 6168 must have the same kind of setup. I'll be calling the Tweeter service rep who was out here last week to discuss this and report back. I don't think changing the light engine (in my case) is necessary.

Bill
Bill,

The tech that came to take a look at my tv with the hashmark pattern removed the plastic cowl and the tv still had the hashmark image.

He initially replaced the whole "tray" with the lens and light engine and the hashmark was still there. He then went out to his truck to get a whole new assembly and we both thought that the plastic cowl may be blocking the light somehow so he took it off and put that unit in the tv, and the hashmark was still present. For that reason, it seems like the issue may be a little more severe.

I thought it would have to be inside the lightpath or tunnel or even part of the DMD itself. I will look at some of the drawings in my service manual to get a closer look to determine how the light flows. If you want I can post some pics of the drawings and maybe that will make it easier.

Flipper what are you going to do with your TV?

My repairs wont be done until after the 13th of Feb. because I have other obligations out of town. Maybe you guys will know more before then and maybe have a solution.

Pics of Light Engine and Front Assembly.

Bill,

The tech that came to take a look at my tv with the hashmark pattern removed the plastic cowl and the tv still had the hashmark image.

He initially replaced the whole "tray" with the lens and light engine and the hashmark was still there. He then went out to his truck to get a whole new assembly and we both thought that the plastic cowl may be blocking the light somehow so he took it off and put that unit in the tv, and the hashmark was still present. For that reason, it seems like the issue may be a little more severe.


Wow, I was pretty convinced. In my case, the pattern isn't being reflected off the mirror. It's getting to the screen right from the lens assembly. In looking at the pictures of the manual that johnnyzcar provided, it appears the 5078 has a different cowling than the 6168. The reflections in my set are definitely coming from the edges of the cowling but maybe it's light diffraction caused by the lens itself. We'll beat this somehow. Johnny, I hope your new light engine solves some of your other picture problems. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Bill

A calibrator will try to get the most out of your TV and the attached components. So, for example ... they would adjust your set to work with your Samsung HD950 DVD player. If you then decide that you do not like the Samsung HD950 (a good decision) and get another DVD player and adjust the new player differently than your calibration will not be as effective. The best approach is to get the DVD player that you will be using for a while and set it up correctly and then have the calibration done. Same logic for your Direct TV setup. It does not sound like it is working correctly. It would be better to find the problem and fix it before having an expensive calibration on a device that is malfunctioning or not setup correctly. Many AV specialists will help you buy and setup the right components and then calibrate your system to get the most out of the total system.

The Samsung HD950 does not pass blacker-than-black to the TV. This can lead to a darker picture with less detail in the dark areas. It has several other problems which are discussed in POST #4. If you pickup the Sony, realize that it will perform best in certain picture modes.


Is my assumption right that once i finalize my setup, I should get the calibration done?

I am also seeing some muddy nature on the faces etc. Is hlr6768 a good set in terms of picture quality.. mostly, we will be watching discovery hd, kids channel and a lot of movies. i also have a hd950 dvd player. I saw on thread #4 that Oppo is better. I get good deal on the equip.. from a friend at BB. Eg. got the hlr6768 for $3400 and hd950 for $120.. So, I would prefer to get some DVD player from BB. Oppo is one price at $200.
Bought the TV on Jan 5th. Please help on.. a) keep the TV or choose any other set.. (we want 60+ inches.. we sit 16 feet away)
b) right DVD player preferably available at BB.

thanks.

You have to enable the NR in the service menu. It is disabled by default and changing it in the picture menu won't do anything that I can see. I definitely see a difference when I toggle it on and off in the SM.
Where is the service menu? Am I an idiot and I just overlooked it? :confused: Do you prefer having it on?

I happen to be noticing what I think is the SSE, it seems that the screen is somewhat shiney in parts, particularly during bright white scenes. Is there anything that can be done to lessen this? Thanks!

Anyone here using the Oppo Digital OPDV971H DVD player with a Samsung 1080p, and if so how does it look (picture quality)? I'm considering buying the Oppo.

Anyone here using the Oppo Digital OPDV971H DVD player with a Samsung 1080p, and if so how does it look (picture quality)? I'm considering buying the Oppo.

Post #4 in this thread has some of my comments on the OPPO.

Why not just wait for the Blue Ray or the HD DVD?I hear they will be out soon. I would bet that they would be able to play standard Dvds and upconvert. I am just guessing about that. I am going to wait since my Dvd component Toshiba plays my dvds better than my hd950. I am just going to live with it for a little while longer.

Yes. They will be able to upconvert Dvds.

Why not just wait for the Blue Ray or the HD DVD?I hear they will be out soon. I would bet that they would be able to play standard Dvds and upconvert. I am just guessing about that. I am going to wait since my Dvd component Toshiba plays my dvds better than my hd950. I am just going to live with it for a little while longer.

Yeah maybe I should do that. The Toshiba HD-A1 will be available March, 27 at BestBuy and yes it does up-convert standard DVD. Only problem it may not play DVD+R as that format is not listed in the specs posted on the BestBuy site.

I tried several DVD players in Xmas of 2004 for a present. Several didn't list some of the formats and a couple specifically said it wouldn't play a specific format. But when I tired the discs in the players they all played the +/-R discs and the +RW discs. I didn't try the -RW discs. Plus I can't see Toshiba taking a step backward since their players right now will play the +R discs.

I'm using the Oppo with the 5668W Samsung...and with the latest Oppo firmware, the PQ looks pretty darned good to me. The only thing I need to constantly tweak it seems is the delay settings for the audio. Even when outputting 1080i, there's still 80 to 120ms of difference in the pic on the TV and the audio going straight to my receiver. The newest firmware is capped at 100, but it lets you adjust in 10ms increments.

Eventually I'll upgrade my receiver to one that has delay, but until then, that's the only prob I have with the Oppo. The quality on Divx files is pretty darned good, particularly those sourced from HD.

SV

I'm using the Oppo with the 5668W Samsung...and with the latest Oppo firmware, the PQ looks pretty darned good to me. The only thing I need to constantly tweak it seems is the delay settings for the audio. Even when outputting 1080i, there's still 80 to 120ms of difference in the pic on the TV and the audio going straight to my receiver. The newest firmware is capped at 100, but it lets you adjust in 10ms increments.

Eventually I'll upgrade my receiver to one that has delay, but until then, that's the only prob I have with the Oppo. The quality on Divx files is pretty darned good, particularly those sourced from HD.

SV

Just get a Felston, you'll be a lot happier.

Is it "normal" to have some slight discoloration near the edges of the screen on this TV? I've had mine for about a week or so now, and it looks like there is some slight discoloration in a vertical band about an inch or so wide on the right side of the screen. It isn't really disturbing as I don't really notice it during normal viewing, but it is pretty evident when the screen displays a static image or when there is a lot of white on the screen (such as snow on Discovery HD, etc.). Should I try to return the TV and get a new one or just live with it?

I have a optical cable from the tv to my av. The only time the optical out choice on the sound menu is not greyed out is when I switch to Ant B....which is my ota ant. Is this normal? Or should all imputs send sound out the optical?

Can anyone recommend a good hard-drive style DVR to use with my 5688W? I'm really ignorant about the technology.

Is there a DVR that will attach to the Sammy's firewire port, and would be able to record programs using the TV Guide? I don't have the ability to pay for a service at this time, so no Tivo or Replay TV...I just want a DVR that can record and works with the Sammy's recorder interface.

Is there such a beast?

Are there actually AnyNet devices available or is that just one of those "features" that sounds awfully nice, but is kinda useless.

(I'm considering using my computer as a PVR, but at this point, I"d really like a hard-drive recorder, especially if I can crack it open and replace the HD with a larger one)

Thanks!

SV

Can anyone recommend a good hard-drive style DVR to use with my 5688W? I'm really ignorant about the technology.

Is there a DVR that will attach to the Sammy's firewire port, and would be able to record programs using the TV Guide? I don't have the ability to pay for a service at this time, so no Tivo or Replay TV...I just want a DVR that can record and works with the Sammy's recorder interface.

Is there such a beast?

Are there actually AnyNet devices available or is that just one of those "features" that sounds awfully nice, but is kinda useless.

(I'm considering using my computer as a PVR, but at this point, I"d really like a hard-drive recorder, especially if I can crack it open and replace the HD with a larger one)

Thanks!
SV
If you subscribe to Comcast cable TV (or a similar service), they offer a HD DVR for $9.95 a month. It is a cheap way to get a high quality solution.

Well, after 6 months of trying, I have finally figured out how to get high definition pictures on our sets from the Macintosh. The following works only for Macintosh's with a mini-dvi output and a video card. I have a PowerBook with 32 megs of video with operating system 10.4. While you can use the mini-dvi to vga adapter, DON'T. You get a picture, but it is not very clear.

Instead, use the mini-dvi to regular dvi adaptor. Then connect a dvi-hdmi adaptor cable to hook up the mac to the TV through one of the HDMI inputs. When you turn on your computer, the picture looks awful on the TV at first. On your main Macintosh monitor there is a monitor icon on the top right of the screen to the left of the airport icon. Be sure to turn off mirroring. This turns your TV into a second monitor. Then, choose "Detect Displays." Your computer will recognize the Samsung. Choose 1920x1080 resolution at 60 Hz Interlaced and Voila, you have a perfect high resolution high definitiion monitor. Open I-Photo. Then drag the open program onto the TV monitor. By default, you drag the mouse to the right. Create a slide show from an album. Under settings, choose the 16x9 mode. Choose the Ken Burns effect is you wish. Then close settings and play your slide show.

Note: if at first your TV says "mode not supported," just cycle through your sources after the computer is fully booted.

How to deal with color oversaturation: On the TV, open the menu. go to Picture. You can reduce the saturation using the color control. However, what works for me is setting the color to 55. Then go to "My Color Control." Choose "Detail Control." I set red to 25, green to 25, blue to 35, yellow to 25 and pink to 30. You can play with these settings.

Enjoy!

I have a optical cable from the tv to my av. The only time the optical out choice on the sound menu is not greyed out is when I switch to Ant B....which is my ota ant. Is this normal? Or should all imputs send sound out the optical?

Yes this is normal. I think you should be getting sound from any source through the TV but the sound out will only be PCM 2.0 stereo. The only time you can select options is when you are using OTA.

Sorry to bring up an old topic but I couldn't find a definitive answer in a search. Has anyone confirmed what deinterlacing method these sets use for 1080i? Is it bob where you lose half the resolution or the superior weave method?

The HLRxxx8 sets use the ATI Xilleon 226 chip. See this press release: SAMSUNG Electronics DLP HDTVs Endorse ATI As The Digital TV Technology Leader (http://www.anandtech.com/news/shownews.aspx?i=24054). The key statement is: Xilleon 226 also features spatial-temporal adaptive deinterlacing to ensure the highest quality video output. I think this means weave, but you can determine that for yourself.

I really hope someone's still reading this. I am looking to upgrade my current Samsung model. I've been looking at the HL-R5688W. For those that have this set please respond. Should I go for this or should I get a plasma screen. I love my Samsung now, however when hooked to my HDTV, DVR cablebox via HDMI or DVI I can't stretch the picture. I hate the black bars, and on many stations I get black bars on top, bottom and both sides. Will I have to deal with this on this new model? I've heard the bulbs blow quickly and often, anyone know how long the bulb will last for? We have our TV on about 15 or so hours a day, everyday. When we looked at these models in Circuit City it was the 50" and was marked $2599.99 on sale. I found the 56" online for $2,399.00. Anyone ever deal with Second Act dot biz? They sell refub items, however this TV is new, sealed, never used. Shipping is only $315.00. I got burned by digital now dot tv last year on a 42" Toshiba Plasma to the tune of $3,652.00. Never got the TV, and now can't get in touch with this company. I paid by check and after about a month I called and got a message that there was a manufacturing problem and shipments were about two months behind and that if I'd wait I'd get a $250.00 rebate check. I waited and by the time I called again they would never answer the phone. I really don't wannna go thru that again.

I really hope someone's still reading this. I am looking to upgrade my current Samsung model. I've been looking at the HL-R5688W. For those that have this set please respond. Should I go for this or should I get a plasma screen. I love my Samsung now, however when hooked to my HDTV, DVR cablebox via HDMI or DVI I can't stretch the picture. I hate the black bars, and on many stations I get black bars on top, bottom and both sides. Will I have to deal with this on this new model? I've heard the bulbs blow quickly and often, anyone know how long the bulb will last for? We have our TV on about 15 or so hours a day, everyday. When we looked at these models in Circuit City it was the 50" and was marked $2599.99 on sale. I found the 56" online for $2,399.00. Anyone ever deal with Second Act dot biz? They sell refub items, however this TV is new, sealed, never used. Shipping is only $315.00. I got burned by digital now dot tv last year on a 42" Toshiba Plasma to the tune of $3,652.00. Never got the TV, and now can't get in touch with this company. I paid by check and after about a month I called and got a message that there was a manufacturing problem and shipments were about two months behind and that if I'd wait I'd get a $250.00 rebate check. I waited and by the time I called again they would never answer the phone. I really don't wannna go thru that again.

I have the 5668w and absolutely love it, however it only offers 16x9 or 4x3 when using the HDMI inputs. To get around this I use an iScan HD+ scaler which allows me the option of adjust to any size I want. Another reason I use the iScan is because it's also an automatic switch for all the devices I run plus I can adjust the audio delay at the output for each input to remove any lip sync problems. I believe the new iScan VP30 is able to do a non-linear stretch which would be a useful function imo. Of course if I input the 5668w via component inputs then I have more screen size options and most likely your Samsung is the same. Hope this helps and may I suggest you check out the Samsung prices from "TVauthority" which is a trusted site (see link at the top right of this page) plus they offer discounts for members of this forum/site. :)

Oh and I hear that the bulb life for these sets is around 4000 to 6000 hours (maybe more if you run in movie mode all the time) and the bulb cost about $150 USD.

Greetings all,

Three tries with the 60" Sony SXRD have all failed due to the infamous Green Glob, so I'll be switching this week to the Sammy HL-R6768W. I wanted to believe that 2M Sony LCoS pixels would be superior to color wheels and 1M wobulated DLP pixels, but I guess that it's actual results that matter, and I hope that the Sammy delivers.

I've scanned all *290* pages of this thread, clipping tidbits about defeating DNIe, the dynamic range bug, discrete IR codes, ISF calibration experiences, etc. I truly appreciate the hard work you've all done in these areas... which will make my life much easier once I get the TV. However, I do have a few questions:

1. Turning *off* all of the following SM settings will apparently permanently defeat DNIe, correct?

SNI_PROC_CEA
SNI_PROC_CEP
SNI_PROC_DEP
SNI_PROC_DCE
SNI_PROC_CCS
SNI_PROC_BWS
SNI_PROC_PCC
SNI_PROC_WTE
SNI_PROC_CTE

What is the scope of these settings (global, per input, per input/resolution combination)?

2. Is Gamma sticky across power/input cycles? What about its scope (global, per input, per input/resolution combination)?

3. What is the current status of the dynamic range bug? Does turning off SNI_PROC_BWS for every input/resolution combination work... or is it still necessary to send the preferred picture mode discrete code after switching inputs?

4. If I can, I'll set up the Sammy like the Sony... part-time internal speakers (lightweight usage), part-time full-blown home theater (more serious entertainment). Apparently Sony does not support discrete internal speaker on/off codes... just speaker toggle. What about Sammy? Bill ("UCSB"), do you have a relatively complete set of codes available? I'm using the RTI T2+, which can be configured with ordinary Pronto hex code.

Thanks in advance for your assistance. I'll let you know how it all goes... and my fingers are crossed that I won't have lens scratches, screen smudges, misaligned light engines, etc.

What is the "green glob"? You may want to wait until April for the new Samsung DLPs using an LED light source plus the price fo the 2005 models will drop after the new sets are out. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=626669&page=1&pp=30

What is the "green glob"? You may want to wait until April for the new Samsung DLPs using an LED light source plus the price fo the 2005 models will drop after the new sets are out. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=626669&page=1&pp=30

Check the Sony XRD thread about the green glob explanation.

I'm interested in hearing Milos' opinion. Everything I read says the Sony is the way to go.

BTW, I think you really only need to change 3 settings to turn of DNie.

Check the Sony XRD thread about the green glob explanation.

I'm interested in hearing Milos' opinion. Everything I read says the Sony is the way to go.

BTW, I think you really only need to change 3 settings to turn of DNie.

Virtually everything about the Sony SXRD is perfect... except the Green Doughnuts. These are huge, circular blobs (or amorphous smears, streaks, or haze) that appear upon power-up. In many cases, they supposedly fade to near extinction after 3-30 minutes. With my three sets, it took up to 10 hours... but there was still a slight green cast where the original artifacts had appeared. Furthermore, the longer I kept the sets, the longer it took to fade away. The trends were not reassuring.

All of this could be toned down with color gain/bias and picture mode adjustments (Sony's recent "fix" after they finally posted a service bulletin admitting the problem). The gain/bias tweaks would leave blacks somewhat purplish, and any picture mode other than "pro" (corresponding to "movie", if I understand Sammy's terminology) is more or less cartoonish (particularly given Sony's oversaturated reds).

This problem makes watching B&W material (or winter sports :-) rather nauseating.

In all other respects, these Sonys are outstanding machines. The menu interface, in particular, is quite refined, and there are tweaks galore available to the end user (including NR, dynamic iris features, and on and on).

However, as you all know by now, their VGA interface supports no more than 1280x1024, and I could never get that even full screen height except on one of my sets.

On uncompressed 720p and 1080i (available on Atlanta Comcast) without artifacts from intervening STBs, the picture was absolutely stunning (the "you are there" feeling that you rarely see yet, given HD compression and other stumbling blocks). You have to be closer than *six inches* to see the pixels (similar 90+% fill factor to DLP, but no dithering... just smooth, film-like imaging).

I truly hate to see the Sony go... and I fear that Sammy's PQ won't be in the same league... but we'll see later this week.

HELP.. HELP

Not sure this is the right place for my question.. But, I will try.
I was watching superbowl on sammy 6768.. connected to denon receiver 3805..
All of a sudden the sound stopped working on the home theater. I have Dtv h20 receiver.
There is no issue with the speakers.. DVD output is working with optical cable.
i tired everything i can think of.. I changed the optical cable on tv, connected optical from Direct tv h20 receiver to denon 3805.
the sound on the TV is fine.. but if i connect thru the Denon.. it is not working..
I hope someone can give me some help.

thanks.

Greetings all,
1. Turning *off* all of the following SM settings will apparently permanently defeat DNIe, correct?

SNI_PROC_CEA
SNI_PROC_CEP
SNI_PROC_DEP
SNI_PROC_DCE
SNI_PROC_CCS
SNI_PROC_BWS
SNI_PROC_PCC
SNI_PROC_WTE
SNI_PROC_CTE

What is the scope of these settings (global, per input, per input/resolution combination)?


Per input, but component is per resolution, too. You have to be feeding the tv the proper resolution in order to access the service menu for it. On the flip side, all of the analog inputs share the same settings, according to my calibrator.


2. Is Gamma sticky across power/input cycles? What about its scope (global, per input, per input/resolution combination)?


Sticky across all inputs.

How did you make this adjustment? My replacement set is tilting slightly.

Also my new set looks like crap. transferred the values ELIAB made in my old set to the new set and the result is just not the same. With the DNIE off everything looks washed out. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what to adjust to correct this? TIA

Eliab indicated to me when he did my set that callibrations are per complete instance of a set (set/bulb/etc). If you change any part of that, the settings will need to be redone. If it's just a new bulb, he can redo the callibration for less than full price, but I'd imagine you'd need a full callibration to get back where you used to be.

3. What is the current status of the dynamic range bug? Does turning off SNI_PROC_BWS for every input/resolution combination work... or is it still necessary to send the preferred picture mode discrete code after switching inputs?


Some people report that turning off BWS has worked for them. It only makes the dynamic range bug less noticeable on my set so I still have to send the discrete picture mode command.

Hey- (at the dreaded-risk of going OT, I need some advice from the 'cool' sammy-ers)
I'm a current owner of the terrific Sammy 5674w & was looking to get another tv for the basement & was researching the for the best 1080p out there. But it's not easy...

It seems that toshiba, Mits, sony & sammy all have 'em & folks love 'em. I've searched around here a bit but haven't found a comparison of rear proj 1080p sets - could someone point me there?

I really did some hard looking before I settled on my sammy & am very happy with it (& maybe biased toward them), but this sony sxrd picture is pretty darn stunning! I got my 74 cause the "2+ chip" was considered the best (better than current one?) -- is there a similar "measurement" like that now that could be a decision-maker: segment wheel, light engine, 1080p on a chip? (I know it's also personal choice) -I'm going to look at the mits & sammy side-by-side at Ovation this afternoon...thanks for any help.

Just get a Felston, you'll be a lot happier

The Felston has two inputs: Optical and coaxial. If I have two inputs, TV (from the cable box) and DVD, by using the coaxial, is the sound degraded? Is there a different device that has two optical inputs/ outputs?

Obviously, I'm a little confused.

Thanks.

Art

Just purchased the Sammy HL-R5688W 3 weeks ago so I not an expert but the 1080P and price is what sold me. I ordered this item from Tiger Direct for 2505.00 plus 180.00 delivery fee, and a extra twenty to the delivery driver and he help me move it into the basement. The Picture is BEAUTIFUL, I have it hooked up to Direct TV HD20 . I did have a problem with the delay in sound but the fix is to have all your digital units connect to tv instead the of the amp. Then run a digital cable from the TV to the amp (perfect sound sync). Again the picture is BEAUTIFUL.

Hi everyone,

Please forgive me if this has been answered already, but I'm at work and don't get paid to read through all 218 pages of this thread :D

I'm considering one of these 1080p sets (56" or 61") to use as my home theatre PC's main display. If anyone has any experience using these displays as a computer monitor, I would be very grateful for your inputs (no pun intended) on the following questions:

1. Will running my desktop at 1920x1080, sitting 10 feet away, be OK for all general computer use (i.e. surfing the net of FireFox, using AIM, writing Word documents)? Or will text be too small to see easily?

2. I've gathered that these sets don't accept 1080p over HDMI/DVI. Do they do so over VGA?

3. Is VGA unambiguously the better choice for a computer signal? Or would sending an 1080i signal over DVI provide better picture quality assuming I don't play high-fps games?

Bonus question:

4. Obviously, VGA is not HDCP compliant. What are the implications of this?


Thank you so much for reading and maybe taking the time to respond :)

-Shiva

Just purchased the Sammy HL-R5688W 3 weeks ago so I not an expert but the 1080P and price is what sold me..............The Picture is BEAUTIFUL, I have it hooked up to Direct TV HD20 . I did have a problem with the delay in sound but the fix is to have all your digital units connect to tv instead the of the amp. Then run a digital cable from the TV to the amp (perfect sound sync). Again the picture is BEAUTIFUL.

Might want to edit out the price before the Mods give you a hard time. But that is a smoking deal. Roughly half the MSRP.

I agree it's a great set. I had a 6168 and moved down to a 5688 and like the PQ better. Interesting note about the lip sync. Not clear to me, but do you mean you get no sync issue through just the amp? What about through the TV speakers?

The Felston has two inputs: Optical and coaxial. If I have two inputs, TV (from the cable box) and DVD, by using the coaxial, is the sound degraded? Is there a different device that has two optical inputs/ outputs?

Obviously, I'm a little confused.

Thanks.

Art

No. (Digital) optical and (digital) coax, to my knowledge, both carry 1s and 0s, with no difference.

The HLR5688W is very inexpensive right now. This is because C**** has it on sale. If you try to get a demo on it locally they will try to sway you away from it, or not even show it to you. I even got a few negative comments from salesmen that were flat out not true (store name starts with a "M" and ends with an "A"). I was told that the DNle was off by default, there are no 1394 ports, and no color controls. All BS.

I picked mine up very cheap with a 3 year warranty delivered at half the MSRP. Disabled the DNle, and the set looks great with all the sources I've tried (480p, 720p, and 1080i).

I have a few observations to share:

1394 and video processing. The firewire input does not have DNle enabled by default. I have tried both the JVC 40000 DVHS VCR, and the Motorola 6200 STB with the same result. The picture is great and I use it as a reference for disabling the DNle settings.

I compared this set to the Sammy 6168 and the Mits 62" my buddy has. I have to say it is the best 1080 DLP on the Market. I even compared it to the Sharp and JVC 1080 LCD displays and though it isn't as bright, it has way better color. I have 2 other ISF calibrated sets (Robert Busch, and Tony Probst) and this set in Movie mode looks better!! :)

Computer connection from my Mac G5 over HDMI works great as well. It only does 1080i, but the picture is stunning.
.

Yes, I had lip sync problems thru amp with TV & DVD, as soon as I used the HDMI connection from DVD & DirectV to TV and then Optical from TV to Amp lip Sync problem disappeared

I didn't think the TV's HDMI connection supported Dolby Digital and DTS. Did you have to set your DVD and DirecTV boxes to output PCM? I don't think I would be willing to give up discrete surround and would look for another solution.

Yes, I had lip sync problems thru amp with TV & DVD, as soon as I used the HDMI connection from DVD & DirectV to TV and then Optical from TV to Amp lip Sync problem disappeared

No I did not set my DVD or Directv to PCM . Just Plug in cables and it appears to be working just fine. MY amp is showing AC3 connection.

No I did not set my DVD or Directv to PCM . Just Plug in cables and it appears to be working just fine. MY amp is showing AC3 connection.

You are not getting anything more than 2 channel sound. The HDMI implementation in these tv's (and everyone else for that matter) doesn't pass more than 2 channel. Either your amp is wrong or you are reading it wrong.

You are not getting anything more than 2 channel sound. The HDMI implementation in these tv's (and everything else for that matter) doesn't pass more than 2 channel. Either your amp is wrong or you are reading it wrong.

Can anyone confirm that the Firewire port does NOT have DNIE enabled by default?

Thanks!

Does anyone else easily notice a SSE with this TV? I didn't notice it in the store, but it's really easy to see when I watch at home... Is this normal? Can you do anything about it? It's really bad when watching stuff like hockey or anything with a white screen (such as snowy stuff, etc.). Just curious to see if there's anything that can be done to lessen it. Thanks!

Does anyone else easily notice a SSE with this TV? I didn't notice it in the store, but it's really easy to see when I watch at home... Is this normal? Can you do anything about it? It's really bad when watching stuff like hockey or anything with a white screen (such as snowy stuff, etc.). Just curious to see if there's anything that can be done to lessen it. Thanks!

SSE?

SSE?
Silk screen effect (that's the abbreviation that I've always seen for it anyway). I searched on here to see what I could find about it, but it still takes forever to wade through all the posts.

Silk screen effect (that's the abbreviation that I've always seen for it anyway). I searched on here to see what I could find about it, but it still takes forever to wade through all the posts.

So you mean like a screen door effect right? If so I sure don't see it on my 5668w.

So you mean like a screen door effect right? If so I sure don't see it on my 5668w.
I don't think it's a screen door effect, but maybe I'm confused. It basically looks like there are bright sparkles on the screen when there is a bright scene displayed, whether anything is moving or not. It makes watching hockey look horrible. Of course that is the extreme, but I was just curious as to whether this was normal or not.

I don't think it's a screen door effect, but maybe I'm confused. It basically looks like there are bright sparkles on the screen when there is a bright scene displayed, whether anything is moving or not. It makes watching hockey look horrible. Of course that is the extreme, but I was just curious as to whether this was normal or not.
i would say 1 your prob sitting to close to the TV. 2 your tv is prob set to bright. what your seing is the pixels. move back about 5 feet and see if you still see them. also, adjust your brightness and contrast. you may also benefit by going in to the factory meni and changing the setting from video2 gamm mode to film0 gamma mode.

I don't think it's a screen door effect, but maybe I'm confused. It basically looks like there are bright sparkles on the screen when there is a bright scene displayed, whether anything is moving or not. It makes watching hockey look horrible. Of course that is the extreme, but I was just curious as to whether this was normal or not.

I don't watch hockey however I did watch Ice Age the other day with my grandson and don't recall seeing what you're describing. I have my picture mode set to "movie" on my Samsung FYI.

SSE is silver screen effect. It looks like the reflective shimmery look that old movie projector or slide projector screens looked like. Screen door is where you can see the pixel cells on a plasma and LCD. You can see the vertical and horizontal frames around the pixels like a screen door. SSE is common on DLP, not just Sammy. It is like other effects. When you first notice it you can't stop seeing it. After some time it will be less noticeable. There has to be mostly white, bright content, which is opposite of RBE.

I don't think the brightness or contrast is set too high. I saw SSE before and after using TuneUp. I do have the Sammy set to dynamic but I don't think that makes a difference. It isn't the pixels you see but the components of the screen itself. In other words the SSE doesn't move, which it would if it were the pixels of moving content.

If I was to set my Sammy to dynamic I would need sunglasses to watch it. :)

If I was to set my Sammy to dynamic I would need sunglasses to watch it. :)
agreed. same here.

The SSE is as bad or good as all the other sets with the same type of screen. I see it just as much on my 6168 as I saw in the other sets at the store. Although it is much, much better than a plasma where the screen is like a mirror.

BTW I seem to remember someone here saying that setting the Sammy to dynamic will shorten the bulb life because at that setting the bulb uses 20 percent more power. My 5668w is bright enough in movie mode even in the daytime and the set is right next to a six foot sliding glass door.

I tried my friend's 5078 since he got his before I got my 5678 in the different modes and dynamic looked great to me. I found movie was too dark, almost dim. I guess it would be good to watch a movie with the lights off? I always had my SD CRTs set to normal afa brightness so I don't find dynamic to be brighter than a normal set. As for the warranty I think its based on hours, not picture mode. I think if the first lamp goes early it should be covered by Sammy and later by my xtend warranty.

After searching the forum on Velux, I did learn alot about how this can help out. However, I noticed even the Pros(Eliab), have had issues with the 68 series, when it comes to installing this material. I have a 5668 and was wondering if anyone has had any luck with the Velux on the 68 series. If so, did you do it yourself or pro install?

Thanks

ATTENTION TO ALL: :)

On Monday Night, I had David Abrams calibrate my entire TV and install Velux throughtout the TV. WOW what a difference. He took about 5.5 hours to install the Velux and also to calibrate my 6178W. What a great job he did. He will email me in a PDF file my readings before he calibrated the set and the settingS and adjustments that he made after the set. :) :D

I tell you, the colors are so much better, the Blacks are deeper and richer, the contrast and brightness are now perfect with the Standard setting. He went into the service menu and change a lot of settings. :) :D The picture is amazing, I mean this. THANKS DAVID!!!!

All in all, I am totally satisfied and do RECOMMEND a calibration on all sets even the new ones, because as we all know from these forums, that every set is different when it leaves the manufacturer. I agree to this. ;)

GOOD LUCK AND POST WHAT YOUR FINDINGS. THANKS!!!

Also to add:

I have 130 hours on my TV, David said, so this is great. I think that the brighter the bulb, the faster it will burn out. Since Daivd added the Velux, Now my screen is completely dark inside. The casing inside is completely grey. There are two huge metal shinny brackets inside these sets that reflect the light off of them, which is very bad. When the sunlight hits your screen you can actually see the grey casing inside the unit. Now since he installed the Black Velux, all I see is complete blackness. This in itself makes a huge difference. He used two different types of tape. He siad that it will not peel or come off at all. It is also fire resistant. How cool is that?

Does anyone know what they use to attach the foam core panels inside the case?

Thanks

I suggest using Velux instead of Foamcore. I heard that they are better and thinner material which is better, since the casing has about 30 twist and turns. I would recommend a professional to install the panels and calibrate the tv at the same time. I cant believe how good these sets look after the calibration.
David told me that these sets, the Samung xx68,78 series are the best. I agree that is why I bought it.

Hope this helps.

Does anyone know what they use to attach the foam core panels inside the case?

Thanks

I suggest using Velux instead of Foamcore. I heard that they are better and thinner material which is better, since the casing has about 30 twist and turns. I would recommend a professional to install the panels and calibrate the tv at the same time. I cant believe how good these sets look after the calibration.
David told me that these sets, the Samsung xx68,78 series are the best. I agree that is why I bought it.

Hope this helps.

Bill,

If I understand you correctly, it sounds as if lining the inside with Velux or something might get rid of this problem then? If so, that would be a fairly easy fix for something that seems to really have people frustrated.

VegasJay

Make sure that you use the thinnest material that is totally black on the inside of your set, the thickest matters. I was told this by many people. The Velux is the very best on the market now for this application. The tape also has to be very good. David used the very best of tape for my set. Since my house can get up to 90 degrees inside in the summer. Therefore, I dont want the tape to peel off. He said it will not since it is fire resistant and the strongest around. I believe this.

Just a little tip for those here who compared the Component PQ VS the HDMI PQ on these sets. I had the component connection for about 2 month because I found that it just seemed to have better PQ on these sets. Last night however I deceided to do a little tweaking. I now have my set connected via HDMI and the picture is flawless. One thing I had to to with the HDMI setting was turn the brightness setting down to 38. Seems low but this displays perfect blacks on my set at this level.

My setting are as follows with HDMI.

Gamma mode is set to 0film (Has to be changed in the factory service menu)

Contrast is set to 80
Brightness is set to 38
Sharpness is set to 50
Color is set to 50
Tint is set to 50
Color Temp is set to Warm1

The above settings are what looks best for my TV in using HDMI. If I was using Component the brightness level would have to be turned up about 10 ticks.

Just thought this might help those of you that thought the component connection looks better then HDMI as I did. Once you get the right settings on the HDMI connection, it blows away component.

Also keep in mind that each set is different so your settings might be a little different thatn mine. I just wanted to give a base of what to work with, with the HDMI setting for those that had the problem I did. Hope this helps.

Did you get a name or model of the tape? How wide was the velux roll? Did he have it precut? I'd guess its probably better to have a left, right and bottom sheet if possible.

Just thinking now, it isn't that the component cable is analog, that doesn't really matter for such a short distance but with component you are going from a digital source, converted to analog and then the Sammy takes the analog source and converts it back to digital. That is normally a less than perfect configuration and I think why the HTPC looks great via VGA since that is taking the analog signal directly and from what I understand is bypassing all of the signal processing from that input.

Did you get a name or model of the tape? How wide was the velux roll? Did he have it precut? I'd guess its probably better to have a left, right and bottom sheet if possible.

I didnt get the name of the tape, but can ask David on email. The Velux roll was very big, It was about 4 feet tall and one side was a felt "very dark black" material the darkest you can get on the market and the other side was a rougher thinner material, it was not as black. This side of the material was laid onto the case inside the tv. Daivd spent over 1.5 hours cutting and laying each piece inside the tv. He used at least 15-20 feet of tape for my set. The tape was just as dark as the Velux.
David had to cut at least 7-8 different sizes of material to fit the curves of my TV. He made sure that he didnt get to close to the lens, but close enough to do the job. This was very tricky. He told me why it was so tricky. I learned about this calibration.

Hope this helps.

Hey all,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I've gone thru almost all of the last 290 pages, and I have a specific question for my setup (TV is being delivered on Friday).

I will have:
- 6168 set
- HD cable box (which supports DVI video and RC audio)
- DVD w/ HDMI

The set has two HDMI/DVI ports in the back. I would *think* that I would be able to do the following:
- Plug HDMI from DVD into HDMI 1 (which will handle DVD's video and sound)
- Plug DVI-to-HDMI from HD cable box into HDMI 2 (which will handle cable's video)
- Plug RC from cable box into RC connections on TV (for cable sound)

Am I off on this one? Will that work and allow me to get sound from my TV from both DVD and cable box?

Thanks in advance ...

Hey all,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I've gone thru almost all of the last 290 pages, and I have a specific question for my setup (TV is being delivered on Friday).

I will have:
- 6168 set
- HD cable box (which supports DVI video and RC audio)
- DVD w/ HDMI

The set has two HDMI/DVI ports in the back. I would *think* that I would be able to do the following:
- Plug HDMI from DVD into HDMI 1 (which will handle DVD's video and sound)
- Plug DVI-to-HDMI from HD cable box into HDMI 2 (which will handle cable's video)
- Plug RC from cable box into RC connections on TV (for cable sound)

Am I off on this one? Will that work and allow me to get sound from my TV from both DVD and cable box?

Thanks in advance ...
That will work. Just use the the DVI audio in Jacks for the cable DVR connection. You should ask your cable company if they have a HD DVR with a HDMI output. Comcast has the Motorola 6412 Phase III with HDMI, but will give customers the older box with DVI.

Has anyone had a problem with a dead ATSC tuner (only one channel) in a 5668.
I have 2 HD sets in the same room, and all the available OTA channels appear on the other set (Sony), but one channel has gone south on the 5668.

I have called S*, but they haven't called me back in 3 days as promised. Unfortunately the nearest authorized servicer is about 50 miles away.

Has anyone else had this problem with the ATSC tuner in a HLR-5668?

Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't immediately assume it is a "dead tuner". Any number of things can cause interference or poor reception on a specific channel and with digital, it is all or nothing. So, to try to figure out what is going on you may try switching the antenna leads between the TV's, re-aiming your antenna slightly, etc.

I have often had two HD tuners running off the same antenna where some channels could be picked up by one and not the other.

I don't think the brightness or contrast is set too high. I saw SSE before and after using TuneUp. I do have the Sammy set to dynamic but I don't think that makes a difference. It isn't the pixels you see but the components of the screen itself. In other words the SSE doesn't move, which it would if it were the pixels of moving content.
Right, what I see stays still regardless of what the picture does. It does seem as if I'm looking at the inside of the screen... Is there anything that can be done about this short of turning down the brightness and/or contrast and sitting farther back? It sucks because once you see it, you see it all the time. I never saw it in the store, and never saw it on my friend's or brother's 720p Samsungs (forgot the model numbers). In fact, I watched the Super Bowl at my friend's house and had to basically sit on top of the TV to notice any SSE at all... Do they use a different screen on the 1080p sets or something? Thanks again for the help!

Found this in the SamsungUSA FAQ:

**********
Samsung provides an RS-232C jack on many of its current DLP TVs to give professional audio visual technicians or more technically oriented customers the ability to control one DLP TV or a group of DLP TVs through a personal computer program.

Connection standards, control codes, and command values are contained in the Procedures for Controlling a DLP TV Using an RS-232C Connection manual. This manual is not currently available.

Note: On older Samsung DLP TVs, the RS-232C jack was used by Samsung technicians to make repairs and install software upgrades.
**********

Anybody ever seen this manual? What can be done via RS232?

Supernova, give it two or three weeks for your eyes to get tired of looking for it. SSE fades away over time like RBE. I stopped seeing RBE after a while, I saw RBE before SSE and now I see SSE and RBE about the same amount, which is much less than when I first discovered them.

I am simply thrilled. I called Samsung's toll-free number late this morning, around eleven. When I called, the person took some info, gave me a transaction number and connected me right over to the local Samsung service center. I'm just north of Boston and this center is located in RI. The person who answered was on another call and said he'd call me back within an hour. About an hour later he did call back and said that he had a cancellation and that a tech. would be available between two and four. I asked what day was he referring to and he said today. I almost fell off the chair. The tech. was at my house around four. She, I know, I was surprised too, spent over thirty minutes fixing my set. The guy I spoke with in RI and she both knew exactly what was wrong with the set. She replaced the LE. I was really surprised how large it was. When they say LE, they mean the whole thing. Its fairly heavy, I'd say about eight pounds and is a little smaller than a multi-function printer. It was full of parts, a lot more than I thought. The LE just slides out once you take the cover off the back. I thought she was going to remove the screen. She said they don't bother with adjustments or repairs, they just replace parts. She said the LE was about $1,200. I thought it cost more? I was really shocked that there were so many parts on the LE and that they didn't bother to look at it? She was very knowledgeable so I was relieved about that. Not because she's a woman but there have been some horror stories about techs and all afaik were men. She was very knowledgeable about video editing and computers, and builds computers, like myself. She started off working on computers and moved to these sets. I don't know what other electronics she repairs? She said the Sammys were still the best out there and she didn't think calibration was necessary, more of a gimmick. She said once something gets replaced you'll need a new calibration, which we all know. I explained how I got the 5678 for HD video editing with video playout. She went to the SM and loaded my settings from the DB to the LE. I'll have to check to see if everything is correct but so far so good. I should probably run Tuneup again just in case.

I'm just noticing one problem now that I didn't see earlier. Shiite, I have the CC, closed captioning line across the top on the first line. Any idea on how to adjust that or do I need to call them back? We watched DHD for a few seconds and were blown away with the picture of a rain forrest or something. I scanned the corners quick and the center looked fine. I assume this was there earlier, I don't see how that can just appear but I didn't see it or notice it earlier so I have no idea? Any help on that would be great.

Did you get a name or model of the tape?

David has told me that he used carpet tape for the velux install. Being that it is not permanent, and we don't want permanent for many reasons, he felt that this was the best compromise.

OBTW, I literally have a bug in my set. The other day I saw an out of focus creature crawling on the screen. Just hope the little bugger doesn't have any offspring.

Jim

David has told me that he used carpet tape for the velux install. Being that it is not permanent, and we don't want permanent for many reasons, he felt that this was the best compromise.

OBTW, I literally have a bug in my set. The other day I saw an out of focus creature crawling on the screen. Just hope the little bugger doesn't have any offspring.

Jim

or chew on any wires :)

I hate bugs, mostly spiders. I would try and get him out right away before he gets fried on the lens or stuck somewhere in the LE path. Now you know where the bug term in computers originated from. These days I don't think they can do too much damage in a computer though.

I had something similar, one channel not showing up and giving a "No Signal" indication, but with a cablecard equipped 6178. Try rescanning the the tuner and/or unplugging the set. In my case I solved the problem by "Reorganizing the Cable Card Listings.

Has anyone had a problem with a dead ATSC tuner (only one channel) in a 5668.
I have 2 HD sets in the same room, and all the available OTA channels appear on the other set (Sony), but one channel has gone south on the 5668.

I have called S*, but they haven't called me back in 3 days as promised. Unfortunately the nearest authorized servicer is about 50 miles away.

Has anyone else had this problem with the ATSC tuner in a HLR-5668?

Thanks in advance.

Has anyone removed the screen from a 5668W (or xx68W for the matter)? I have the materials to do a velux install and would like to attempt this... My only concerns are regarding the center-bottom portion of the screen... Are they clips holding that portion in place or are there hidden screws that are accessible from further disassembly? I fully understand the risks associated with attempting this mod... Any tips would be greatly appreciated..

Thanks,

Steve

Been reading the forum for a couple of years, never did get around to joining until last month. CES was interesting and full of new technologies...we had a booth right next to Samsung which meant a lot of looks at there latest offerings, also the AVS Forum party was also a blast. Bought the HLR-5688W last friday at one of the large electronics chains....initials FE, was delivered Sunday just before the Superbowl, prices have dropped on the unit and I could not resist. In addition, picked up the HD Digital box (traded in the plain digital box), I could not be happier....the unit looks fantastic with HD channels and not real bad with SD content, although not as good as the old CRT was.

RE: the dead channels. Have you tried to power cycle the TV? Turn it off. Unplug it for a couple minutes, and plug it back in? When I've lost channels before (happened twice) a powercycle fixed it.

David has told me that he used carpet tape for the velux install. Being that it is not permanent, and we don't want permanent for many reasons, he felt that this was the best compromise.

OBTW, I literally have a bug in my set. The other day I saw an out of focus creature crawling on the screen. Just hope the little bugger doesn't have any offspring.

Jim
Just open the circular side access panels and let the bug crawl out. It doesn’t want to be in there.

[...]
Anybody ever seen this manual? What can be done via RS232?
My 6168 came with a sheet titled "Procedures for Controlling a DLP DTV using an RS-232C Connection". From the list of command codes, it looks like you can do anything through the serial port that you can do through the user menu.

skeeter,

I am going to be doing my 5668w next week with the help of an ISF calibrator. I have the service manual due to arrive anytime, if I see anything in there I will let you know.

By the way, where did you get Velux? I ending up going with Duventyne, after reading some reviews on it, and its alot easier to find on the net. Did you get the Velux locally. I see you are from Macomb, that is why I ask.

Thanks

Make sure that you use the thinnest material that is totally black on the inside of your set, the thickest matters. I was told this by many people. The Velux is the very best on the market now for this application. The tape also has to be very good. David used the very best of tape for my set. Since my house can get up to 90 degrees inside in the summer. Therefore, I dont want the tape to peel off. He said it will not since it is fire resistant and the strongest around. I believe this.

I just went and bought the velux.It has the adhesive already on the back.It says it can hold up to 212 degrees.I also bought the foamcore panels,which are about quarter in thick,from walmart.Think I am goimg to not install the foamcre though.Did you have it done on your 5688

In my search for light absorbing fabrics to line my TV, I came across a product called Duventyne, which I saw others had used for this type of job. The neat thing was I found it comes in a Tape called DuvePro. The tape can be found in many widths, and may make some of the areas of the TV much easier to line.

I ordered both the Duve Tape, and Duventyne fabric for my TV. We are going to install it next weekend(using a combo of DuveTape and Duvy fabric), so I will let you know how it goes. I also ordered dual sided carpet tape of quite strong adhesion for the fabric. The tape is suppose to be residue free tho, if I ever need to remove it.

VegasJay

skeeter,

I am going to be doing my 5668w next week with the help of an ISF calibrator. I have the service manual due to arrive anytime, if I see anything in there I will let you know.

By the way, where did you get Velux? I ending up going with Duventyne, after reading some reviews on it, and its alot easier to find on the net. Did you get the Velux locally. I see you are from Macomb, that is why I ask.

Thanks

I ordered it online at mcmaster.com , part number: 88015K335 . Please let me know your findings regarding the screen removal as I don't want to be pulling on something if there are screws holding it in place. Where abouts in MI are you located?

Best regards,

Steve

Cool, that stuff comes with self-adhesive backing with high temp rating. I might buy some of that instead and return this other stuff.

I am located in New Balitmore, so I am fairly close to you.

I will post my results when we do it. I have an ISF calibrator visiting next weekend(17th,18th) to calibrate my 5668 and help install the cabinet lining.

In fact, if you or anyone else in the area(metro Detroit) is interested in calibration, ChadB is doing mine. He is highly regarded at this site. He only travels this far once in awhile, since his out of Ohio area.

VegasJay

I am planning on having Eliab come do a calibration later in the month hopefully as he is planning a mini-tour in our areas.. www.avical.com

Best regards,

Steve

I am pretty sure those guys also do the velux install if you didnt want to do it yourself. I thought I read tho, that they only do the 78 series, due to the 68 series being pretty tough.

VegasJay

I posted yesterday about how I was able to make the HDMI look pretty good. But after watching the grammys last night and comparing it to the Component, the Component has come out on top. The HDMI is slightly less detailed in color. It also has more noise in the picture. The artifacts are alot more noticeable in dark scenes.

I decided to call a ISF calibrator here in raleigh and ask him what he thought. He said, that of the thousands of sets he has calibrated and set up, he has never found that HDMI is better then component. He said, that everything looks good about HDMI in theory but in real world use, Component always displays a better picture.

Just thought I would post this because I have always found that the Component offered better PQ but then I would read a bunch of stuff that says otherwise. It had me doubting what my eyes were telling me were true.

So going by my eyes, an ISF Calibrator, and Alan Gouger perfering component over HDMI, I will be using the good old Component connection atleast until HDMI improves.

I thought the same thing, but after emailing Eliab he said that he was still offering this service for the 68 series... I am still planning on doing the install myself before he comes to help save some money... On top of that I am a DIY type person...

Best regards,

Steve

Well here is one ISF calibrator that thinks that once calibrated, the HDMI on a Samsung blows away its component. Why would you want to take a digital signal, go through a d/a conversion, then go through some analog processing and a/d conversion back to digital to be displayed. Digital all the way works a little better in my book.

Just put up a 1080i multiburst pattern and see how well the component handles the highest resolution vs. hdmi, especially when set to 1:1 pixel mapping (which can only be done temporarily in the service mode unfortunately).

Why would you want to take a digital signal, go through a d/a conversion, then go through some analog processing and a/d conversion back to digital to be displayed. Digital all the way works a little better in my book.
Like I said, I agree with that argument. In theory HDMI should be the better connection. But there are alot of theory's that dont always pan out in the real world.

Here is a little article that points out the argument you just made and explains why it may be a wrong assumption. Let me know what you think. I definitly value your oppinion and I am not arguing just for the sake of arguing. I am just interested in learning and hearing your thoughts.

"The argument often made for the DVI or HDMI signal formats is the "pure digital" argument--that by taking a digital recording, such as a DVD or a digital satellite signal, and rendering it straight into digital form as a DVI or HDMI signal, and then delivering that digital signal straight to the display, there is a sort of a perfect no-loss-and-no-alteration-of-information signal chain. If the display itself is a native digital display (e.g. an LCD or Plasma display), the argument goes, the signal never has to undergo digital-to-analog conversion and therefore is less altered along the way.

That might be true, were it not for the fact that digital signals are encoded in different ways and have to be converted, and that these signals have to be scaled and processed to be displayed. Consequently, there are always conversions going on, and these conversions aren't always easy going. "Digital to digital" conversion is no more a guarantee of signal quality than "digital to analog," and in practice may be substantially worse."

I have looked at the digital -> digital (from a DVI test pattern generator to various Samsung DLP RPTV's) and it can be made darned near perfect. Component not so much.

What you said is very true. Some early Mitsubishi DLP's took the digital input, converted it to analog and processed away then back to digital to display. Unless you know what is going on between the digital input and the actual display output, you can't be sure. Things like DNIe, scalling etc., certainly can ruin a digital signal, as you've said.

A well calibrated Samsung (no DNIe, 1:1 pixel mapping of the digital input source, CCA calibration of primaries/secondaries) can look as close to perfect as anything in its class I've seen. It would be a crime to me to feed them component. Not so say that it wouldn't look good, but the HDMI is better when both are properly calibrated, in my opinion.

I have looked at the digital -> digital (from a DVI test pattern generator to various Samsung DLP RPTV's) and it can be made darned near perfect. Component not so much.

What you said is very true. Some early Mitsubishi DLP's took the digital input, converted it to analog and processed away then back to digital to display. Unless you know what is going on between the digital input and the actual display output, you can't be sure. Things like DNIe, scalling etc., certainly can ruin a digital signal, as you've said.

A well calibrated Samsung (no DNIe, 1:1 pixel mapping of the digital input source, CCA calibration of primaries/secondaries) can look as close to perfect as anything in its class I've seen. It would be a crime to me to feed them component. Not so say that it wouldn't look good, but the HDMI is better when both are properly calibrated, in my opinion.
Thanks for the info. Im going to be sending you a pm here in a sec with a few questions. Thanks again.

I just went and bought the velux.It has the adhesive already on the back.It says it can hold up to 212 degrees.I also bought the foamcore panels,which are about quarter in thick,from walmart.Think I am goimg to not install the foamcre though.Did you have it done on your 5688

Matt, thanks for the info about the temperature of the tape. 212 degrees, cool. I didnt have the 5688 done. Not just yet. I need to think about this one. I did have the 6178W done and boy is there a difference. I am happy with it. I wouldnt use the foamcore at all, they are too thick. The Velux with the tape will be just fine. David didnt have adhesive on his Velux. His roll was huge about 4.5 feet high and at least 300 feet on the roll.

I thought the same thing, but after emailing Eliab he said that he was still offering this service for the 68 series... I am still planning on doing the install myself before he comes to help save some money... On top of that I am a DIY type person...

Best regards,

Steve

If you install the material yourself make sure that you are not too close to the lens, or you will clip some of the image out. Also make sure that you get close enough so you wont have any light reflecting back from the grey plastic casing that surrounds the lens. One more point, make sure the material you buy is very black, very dark, the darker black that you get the better. I saw the material from McMaster.com part # 88015K335, it doesnt look like a solid black. I would stick with the Velux material. This is a perference for me, the VELUX all the way!!

ATTENTION TO ALL:

After David sends me the PDF files from my set before and after the calibration, I will post his findings here, so everyone can see what my settings were and are now. He said that they were not off by much, but he had to turn a lot of settings off from the service menu to get DNIe off and the 1:1 mapping, etc. He then set all my equipment up to get the best picture that I could get. WOW, I am blown away.

While we're on the subject, what is the trick, if any on taking the screens off the 78s? I mean there are a bunch of screws to remove, anything to know besides that? How much velux material do you need? I don't want to buy a roll if I don't need that much. Anyone selling it by the yard on ebay or something? You'd think this would be the mod to do for these dlps that someone would be selling small amounts for the av diy guys.

For those who have had thier Sammy for a while...should I keep this HUGE 6168 box that it came in until the end of the service contract or could I trash it now? Too big to hang on to for 5 years...but keep it in case I need to send it back right... :eek:

If you install the material yourself make sure that you are not too close to the lens, or you will clip some of the image out. Also make sure that you get close enough so you wont have any light reflecting back from the grey plastic casing that surrounds the lens. One more point, make sure the material you buy is very black, very dark, the darker black that you get the better. I saw the material from McMaster.com part # 88015K335, it doesnt look like a solid black. I would stick with the Velux material. This is a perference for me, the VELUX all the way!!

This is velux - this is the exact same stuff that Eliab uses... The part number was provided by him for reference from another website. I have this stuff and trust me it is black....

Has anyone had a problem with a dead ATSC tuner (only one channel) in a 5668.
I have 2 HD sets in the same room, and all the available OTA channels appear on the other set (Sony), but one channel has gone south on the 5668.

I have called S*, but they haven't called me back in 3 days as promised. Unfortunately the nearest authorized servicer is about 50 miles away.

Has anyone else had this problem with the ATSC tuner in a HLR-5668?

Thanks in advance.
This is probably normal and I am not sure if it is the set or your broadcaster. My PBS digital stations are always disappearing and so are a few of my other ones. You can find them higher up in the UHF band (go to antennaweb.org to get the channel numbers). Then when you enter those channels you will either get the channel back or else you get to watch them in their subchannel address.

I have not ever bothered to call SS on this but this is a regular occurrence on my 5668.

Well after many more hours tonight of tweaking and calibration, I have still come to the conclusion that Component offers better PQ on these sets than HDMI.

I used both the HDNET and INHD test patterns that I have saved on my DVR to adjust the color, contrast, brightness, tint, and so on.

I turned off all DNIE. My Gamma mode is set to 0film.

after all this, i paused a scene on Discovery HD of a real nice zoom on a frog. i switched back and forth from component and HDMI and again the component came out on top. i then went to a real dark scene of the U2 concert on HDNET and paused it. the HDMI has so much more noise and artifacts on the dark scenes than the Component does.

my final outcome, i will be sticking with Component.

also found and interesting article that claims that the HDCP code embedded in the HDMI signal may cause PQ loss.

http://www.the-hdtv-tuner.com/hdmi-or-component.html

ATTENTION TO ALL:

After David sends me the PDF files from my set before and after the calibration, I will post his findings here, so everyone can see what my settings were and are now. He said that they were not off by much, but he had to turn a lot of settings off from the service menu to get DNIe off and the 1:1 mapping, etc. He then set all my equipment up to get the best picture that I could get. WOW, I am blown away.
Cool cant wait to see it. What does David think about the HDMI vs Component connection and which did he reccomend you use? thanks

I purchased item #88015K2 from mcmaster and is the darkest richest black i have ever seen.It comes in 45" widths @ length: 3, 10, 20, 30, 50, or 100 ft.Thickness is 0.030".Btw #88015K335 and #88015K2 are the same item for those who might have be confused on the different #'s that have been floating around.

What length did you get and how much did it cost?

I just ordered the same stuff. It was a 10 foot roll for 57 bucks. Its not cheap, but at least it has the adhesive already so you shouldnt need extra tape.

By the way, for anyone asking about the 68 series screen removal. I just got my service manual yesterday and what a surprise to find the only screen removal diagrams were for the 78 series, even tho my SM was ordered for the 5668. So, I guess it will be a take it slow approach when the calibrator and myself take the screen off next weekend. So much for my 25 dollar SM, which I specifically bought for the screen removal and a couple other smaller items.

VegasJay

Well here is one ISF calibrator that thinks that once calibrated, the HDMI on a Samsung blows away its component. Why would you want to take a digital signal, go through a d/a conversion, then go through some analog processing and a/d conversion back to digital to be displayed. Digital all the way works a little better in my book.

Just put up a 1080i multiburst pattern and see how well the component handles the highest resolution vs. hdmi, especially when set to 1:1 pixel mapping (which can only be done temporarily in the service mode unfortunately).

We have to be careful with blanket statements and assumptions. First, DACs today are pretty dang good and the conversions are not necessarily "trashing" the PQ during the process. How much of the original content you're viewing was done in digital in the first place? You're stuck with at least one conversion right out of the gate :)

The HDMI vs component comparisons by end users are noted within the last day. Earlier suggestions that DNIe is all bad were later followed with reports by end users who find a subset more preferrable(myself included). IMO, HDMI was introduced for cable simplicity, DRM and to be honest, a nice revenue stream for the supporting companies like SI. To say it's automatically superior just because it's an all digital path is flawed logic. I'm not saying that's what you've done Steve, because I do note your testing. But you're viewing a static image, not a stream with embedded DRM or a lousy transfer or all the other wonderful variables that can be thrown into the mix.

Let's keep in mind the relative newness of HDMI, make mental note that it is a protocol in development and it will probably still have flaws for the forseeable future.

The earlier suggestion that HDCP could be impacting PQ is an interesting thought. Especially since the stream has to verify HDCP every 2-20 seconds. That to me is unnecessarily overburdening the data path, but it's what keeps the MPAA happy :p I don't know that this PQ hit is actually happening, but it is a possibility worth investigating further.

Vegasjay, my friend has a 5078 and I have a 5678. What size is your set? Do you think we can get by with ten feet for both sets or would we need the twenty foot? I would do both sets over the weekend, probably his first. lol. How many pieces get cut? I guess ideally the fewer the pieces the fewer the seams they'll be.

I purchased 10 ft and the cost was 60.00 tax included.6.00 ship & handling not included.Since I only live about 45 min away.It was time for a road trip to LA lol.The material is 5.70 a foot.Just waiting on the service manual to arrive before I crack the shell open.I have speakers on both sides so i want to take caution.

Sorry bcvp if I gave the impression I did this already. I am just getting all the stuff together right now, to do next weekend(18th). I wont really know the details till then. I will say, you both have 78 series, which makes life a lot easier in terms of screen removal.

The diagram in SM shows taking off the black outline cover, by detaching at the lower left corner. After that piece is off, it mentions 6 screws to remove the actual screen itself. The diagram is not very good and the verbage is horrible, so I am doing my best to describe what they showed. Others with 78 series might be more help. I know mine has like 12 screws to remove just to start the removal process.

If you do yours before next weekend, please post your findings. I would guess 10 feet of material by 45 inches wide would probably do it for both(but it might be close, no mistakes in cutting), since the mirror side of course doesnt get covered. :)

Also, they sell it in 3 foot pieces also, in case you want just a little more.

VegasJay

I was just thinking the comparison might be with the component being used? Nevermind the signal necessarily since that is always going to be an issue. You would have to compare a digital signal for a fair comparison and I would assume people are watching HD content, which is digital. Could one stb be better than another when outputting component or HDMI? I don't think I noticed a difference but it doesn't make sense to me that HDMI is worse? I have Comsucks and started with component and went HDMI, which should be the same or better. I also like the idea of having digital audio going to the Sammy and needing only one cable, not five. HDMI and component have specs they must meet. It would be interesting to see where the difference if any is.

Absolutely, the source component can provide varying quality of input. That's true for both digital and analog. Look at any number of threads re: upconverting DVD players for example. As I said, many variables get thrown into the mix. You can only pursue perfection in the calibration to a point and then it's diminishing returns for the effort spent.

Don't get me wrong, I think a calibration on any big screen today is almost mandatory if you're looking to get the most from the set.

New info. You folks may remember I traded my 6178 for a 6768. The old set developed a dark 2 inch stripe on the left side of the screen which was unresolved. The new set has one dead pixel/mirror in the upper left but it is unnoticable from 2 feet back and within Sammys design specs so I'm letting that ride. The new tv really is a lot bigger and I'm still debating which set has the best overall pic quality. I know the guts of the tv's are the same, in theory, but I still wonder about the big price difference between the 68 and 78 models. I think the bigger screen affords more options to discern artifacts and such. Anyway, just last night the tv simply turned off and the stby/temp lights started flashing. The manual says it means the tv is too hot or the fan is not working. The set was cool to touch and the room temp was 64. So I think the fan is the problem. I unplugged the set for a few minutes and when I plugged it back in the lights were still flashing. Then, 30 minutes later they turned steady and I was able to turn it back on. Today, no problems. Called Tweeters and they said their "Rapid responce team" would replace the set pronto since 30 days have not passed.
Just an update..........for the record, I'm on the component imput side.

For those who have had thier Sammy for a while...should I keep this HUGE 6168 box that it came in until the end of the service contract or could I trash it now? Too big to hang on to for 5 years...but keep it in case I need to send it back right... :eek:

I have mine collapsed and on the floor of my garage. Eventually I'll toss it but if you need service they'll just service it in house.

We have to be careful with blanket statements and assumptions. First, DACs today are pretty dang good and the conversions are not necessarily "trashing" the PQ during the process. How much of the original content you're viewing was done in digital in the first place? You're stuck with a least come conversion right out of the gate :)

The HDMI vs component comparisons by end users are noted within the last day. Earlier suggestions that DNIe is all bad were later followed with reports by end users who find a subset more preferrable(myself included). IMO, HDMI was introduced for cable simplicity, DRM and to be honest, a nice revenue stream for the supporting companies like SI. To say it's automatically superior just because it's an all digital path is flawed logic. I'm not saying that's what you've done Steve, because I do note your testing. But you're viewing a static image, not a stream with embedded DRM or a lousy transfer or all the other wonderful variables that can be thrown into the mix.

Let's keep in mind the relative newness of HDMI, make mental note that it is a protocol in development and it will probably still have flaws for the forseeable future.

The earlier suggestion that HDCP could be impacting PQ is an interesting thought. Especially since the stream has to verify HDCP every 2-20 seconds. That to me is unnecessarily overburdening the data path, but it's what keeps the MPAA happy :p I don't know that this PQ hit is actually happening, but it is a possibility worth investigating further.
thanks for the info bobm. :)

I just ordered the same stuff. It was a 10 foot roll for 57 bucks. Its not cheap, but at least it has the adhesive already so you shouldnt need extra tape.

By the way, for anyone asking about the 68 series screen removal. I just got my service manual yesterday and what a surprise to find the only screen removal diagrams were for the 78 series, even tho my SM was ordered for the 5668. So, I guess it will be a take it slow approach when the calibrator and myself take the screen off next weekend. So much for my 25 dollar SM, which I specifically bought for the screen removal and a couple other smaller items.

VegasJay
If you have a digital camera and can take a few shots of the screen removal process, it would give us a better idea of how difficult the project might be for those considering a DIY install.

I can do that. I will post them next weekend when we complete the job. Maybe I can do a better job of putting together some photos than the actual SM was able to do for me. :rolleyes: